The archbishops and bishops of the United States in conference assembled, to
their clergy and faithful people—Grace unto you and peace from God our Father
and from the Lord Jesus Christ.

Venerable brethren of the clergy,
Beloved children of the laity:

Thirty-five years have elapsed since the Fathers of the Third Plenary Council
of Baltimore addressed their pastoral letter to the faithful of their charge. In
it they expressed their deliberate thought upon the state of religion at the
time, upon its needs and its abundant resources. Surveying the growth of the
Church during a century, they saw with thankfulness the evident design of God in
behalf of our country; and turning to the future, they beheld the promise of a
still more fruitful development. With wise enactment and admonition they
imparted new vigor to our Catholic life. With a foresight which we can now
appreciate, they prepared the Church in America to meet, on the solid ground of
faith and discipline, the changing conditions of our earthly existence. As Pope
Leo XIII of happy memory declared: "the event has proven, and still does
prove, that the decrees of Baltimore were wholesome and timely. Experience has
demonstrated their value for the maintenance of discipline, for stimulating the
intelligence and zeal of the clergy, for protecting and developing the Catholic
education of youth" (Encyc., <Longinqua oceani spatia>, January 6,
1895).

The framers of the legislation were men of power, strewing forth in their
wisdom the dignity of prophets and instructing the people with holy words. They
are gone, nearly all, to their rest and reward; but their godly deeds have not
failed. They have left us a sacred inheritance; their labors are held in
remembrance and their names in benediction forever.

Following the example of our predecessors, and like them trusting in the
guidance of the Holy Spirit, we lately took counsel together for the welfare of
the Church and of our country. The whole hierarchy of the United States
assembled in Washington to consider the problems, the needs, and the
possibilities for good which invite us to new undertakings. In the record of the
last three decades, we found much to console and inspire us. We also knew well
that you with whom and for whom we have labored would rejoice in considering how
abundantly God has blessed our endeavors. And we therefore determined, for His
glory and for your comfort, to point out the significant phases in our progress,
and to set forth the truths which contain the solution of the world's great
problems.

This course we adopted the more hopefully because of the approval and
encouragement given us by our Holy Father, Pope Benedict XV, in the letter which
he sent us last April. Knowing how deeply the Sovereign Pontiff is concerned for
the restoration of all things in Christ, and how confidently he looks at this
time to the Church in America, we felt that by uniting our thought and our
effort we should co-operate, in the measure of our opportunity, toward his
beneficent purpose. In his name, and in our own, we greet you, dear brethren, as
children of the Holy Catholic Church and as citizens of the Republic on whose
preservation the future of humanity so largely depends. We exhort you, as of one
mind and heart, to ponder well the significance of recent events, so that each
of you, as circumstance requires, may rightly fulfill his share of our common
obligation.

First of all, it is our bounder duty to offer up praise and thanksgiving to
almighty God who, in His gracious Providence, has restored the nations to peace.
He has shown us His mercy, and the light of His countenance is shining upon us,
that we may know His way upon earth, which is the way of salvation for all the
peoples. Now that the storm is subsiding, we can see the true meaning of its
causes. We can review more calmly the changes and movements which brought it
about; and we can discern more surely their import for our various human
interests.

In the spiritual order, there has been a steady advance. The issue between
truth and error, with regard to all that religion implies, is now quite clearly
drawn. As human devices, intended to replace the Gospel, have gradually broken
down, Christianity, by contrast, appears distinct and firm in its true position.
The Church indeed has suffered because it would not sanction the vagaries of
thought and policy which were leading the world to disaster. And yet the very
opposition which it encountered, an opposition which would have destroyed the
work of man, has given the Church occasion for new manifestations of life. With
larger freedom from external interference, it has developed more fully the power
from on high with which the Holy Spirit endued it. Far from being weakened by
the failure of outward support, its activity is seen as the expression of its
inner vitality. Its vigor is shown in its ready adaptation to the varying
conditions of the world, an adaptation which means no supine yielding and no
surrender of principle, but rather the exertion of power in supplying as they
arise, the needs of humanity. Because It maintains inviolate the deposit of
Christian faith and the law of Christian morality, the Church can profit by
every item of truth and every means for the betterment of man which genuine
progress affords. It thrives wherever freedom really lives, and it furnishes the
only basis on which freedom can be secure.

The inner vitality of the Church has been shown and enhanced by the action of
the Holy See in giving fresh impetus to the minds and hearts of the faithful; in
stimulating philosophical, historical, and biblical studies; in creating
institutions of learning; in revising the forms of liturgical prayer; in
quickening devotion; and in reducing to a compact body of law the manifold
enactments of canonical legislation. At the same time, the Sovereign Pontiffs
have promoted the welfare of all mankind by insisting on the principles which
should govern our social, industrial and political relations, by deepening
respect for civil authority; by enjoining upon Catholics everywhere the duty of
allegiance to the State and the discharge of patriotic obligation. They have
condemned the errors which planned to betray humanity and to undermine our
civilization. Again and again, the charity of Christ constraining them, they
have sought out the peoples which sat in darkness and the shadow of death; and
they have urged all Christians who are yet "as children tossed to and fro
and carried about with every wind of doctrine," to enter the haven of the
Church and anchor upon the confession of "one Lord, one faith, one
baptism" (Eph. 4:14, 5).

The Holy See And The Church In America

From these salutary measures the Church in America has derived in full its
share of benefit. But it has also received, to its great advantage, especial
marks of pontifical favor. To Pope Leo XIII we are indebted for the
establishment of the Apostolic Delegation, whereby we are brought into closer
union with the Holy See. The presence in our midst of the representative of the
Holy Father has invigorated our ecclesiastical life, and facilitated to a marked
degree the administration of our spiritual affairs, in keeping with our rapid
development.

Though its organization had extended to every part of the United States, the
Church, until 1908, was still on a missionary basis, as it had been from the
beginning. By the action of Pope Pius X, it was advanced to full canonical
status and ranked with the older Churches of Europe. It now observes the same
laws and enjoys the same relations with the Apostolic See.

From the beginning of his pontificate, Pope Benedict XV, though burdened with
sorrow and trial, has given his children in America continual proof of his
fatherly care. He has guided us with his counsel, encouraged us with his
approbation, and rejoiced in our prosperity. Recognizing the importance of
America for the world's restoration, he sees from his exalted position the
broader range of opportunity which now is given the Church in our country. By
word, and yet more by example, he shows how effectually the Catholic spirit can
renew the face of the earth.

Needs Of The Holy See

It is a source of happiness for us that the Catholics of America have
appreciated the evidences of paternal affection bestowed on them by the Vicar of
Christ. For we can truly say that no people is more loyal to the Holy See, none
more diligent in providing for its needs. Our assistance at the present time
will give the Holy Father special consolation, owing to the fact that the
faithful in so many countries are no longer able to share with him their scanty
means. It is to the Pope, on the contrary, that they, in their destitution, are
looking for aid. And it is in their behalf that he has more than once appealed.
Touching, indeed, are the words with which he implores all Christians throughout
the world, and "all who have a sense of humanity," for the love of the
Infant Saviour, to help him in rescuing from hunger and death the children of
Europe. In the same encyclical letter (<Paterno iam diu>, November 24,
1919), he commends most highly the bishops and the faithful of the United States
for their prompt and generous response to his earlier appeal, and he offers
their action as an example to all other Catholics. Let us continue to deserve
his approval.

It is sufficient for us to know that the Holy Father, with numberless demands
upon him, is in need.

The Growth Of The Church In Our Country

The growth of the Church in America was fittingly brought to view at the
celebration, in 1889, of the first centenary of the hierarchy. Within a hundred
years, the number of dioceses had risen from one to seventy-five. During the
last three decades the same rate of progress has been maintained, with the
result that at present one sixth of the citizens of the United States are
members of the Catholic Church, in a hundred flourishing dioceses.

But what we regard as far more important is the growth and manifestation of
an active religious spirit in every diocese and parish. "We are bound to
give thanks always to God for you, brethren, as it is fitting, because your
faith groweth exceedingly, and the charity of every one of you toward each other
aboundeth" (2 Thes. 1:3). You have not contented yourselves with bearing
the Catholic name or professing your faith in words: you have shown your faith
by your works; by the performance of your religious duties, by obedience to the
laws of the Church, and by co-operation in furthering the kingdom of God. For
thus "the whole body, being compacted and fitly joined together, by what
every joint supplieth, according to the operation in the measure of every part,
maketh increase of the body unto the edifying of itself in charity" (Eph.
4:16).

With you, dear brethren of the clergy, we rejoice in the fruits of your zeal,
your loyalty, and your concern for the welfare of the souls entrusted to your
care. You have learned by a happy experience how much can be accomplished
through your daily ministration, your immediate contact with the people, your
words of advice and instruction, above all, through your priestly example. To
you we gladly attribute the provision of the material means which are needed for
the worship of God and for the countless forms of charity. You "have loved
the beauty of his house and the place where his glory dwelleth" (Ps. 25:8).
What is yet more essential, you have builded in the souls of your people, and
especially in the little ones of Christ, the temple of the living God. In the
work of our Catholic schools, you have both the honor and the responsibility of
laying the first foundation. We know that you have laid it with care, and that
the whole structure of Catholic education is securely based upon Jesus Christ,
the chief cornerstone: "in whom all the building being fitted together,
groweth up into an holy temple in the Lord . . . an habitation of God in the
Spirit" (Eph. 2:21).

You, likewise, beloved children of the laity, we heartily commend for your
willingness, your correspondence with the intent of your pastors, your support
so cheerfully given to the cause of religion. When we consider that every church
and school, every convent, asylum and hospital represents the voluntary offering
brought by you, out of your plenty and more often out of your want, we cannot
but marvel and glorify God who has made you "worthy of his vocation and
fulfilled in you all the good pleasure of his goodness and the work of faith in
power" (2 Thes. 1:11). For as faith is expressed in deeds, so, conversely,
is it strengthened by doing: "by works faith is made perfect" (James
2:22). And since the bond of perfection is charity, we look upon your generosity
both as an evidence of your good will toward the whole of God's Church and as a
token of His heavenly favor. "Wherefore, brethren, labor the more that by
good works you may make sure your calling and election" (2 Peter 1:10).

Faith

We would have you bear always in mind that your faith is your most precious
possession and the foundation of your spiritual life, since "without faith,
it is impossible to please God" (Heb. 11:6). Without faith, the outward
forms of worship avail us nothing, the sacraments are beyond our reach, the
whole plan and effect of redemption is made void. It behooves us, then, to guard
with jealous care the treasure of faith by thankfulness to God for so great a
gift and by loyalty to "the Church of the living God, the pillar and ground
of the truth" (1 Tim. 3:15). The fact that unbelief is so common, that firm
and definite teaching of Christian truth is so often replaced by vague uncertain
statements, and that even these are left to individual preference for acceptance
or rejection—the fact, in a word, that by many faith is no longer regarded as
of vital consequence in religion, should the more determine us to "watch,
stand fast in the faith, do manfully and be strengthened" (1 Cor. 16:13).
While we must needs look with sorrow upon the decay of positive belief, let us
recognize, with gratitude, the wisdom of Him who, being the "author and
finisher of our faith," established in His Church a living authority to
"teach all nations, teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have
commanded you" (Matt. 28:20). Let us also consider the splendid courage
with which that mission has been accomplished through the centuries, by the
witness of martyrs, the constancy of faithful peoples, the zeal of preachers and
pastors, the firmness of pontiffs who, amid the storms of error and the assaults
of worldly power, stood fast in the faith upon the assurance given them by
Christ: "the gates of hell shall not prevail" (Matt. 16:18).

The Catholic who appreciates the blessing of faith and the sacrifices which
generous men and women in all ages have made to preserve it, will take heed to
himself and beware of the things whereby some "have made shipwreck
concerning the faith" (1 Tim. 1:19). For this disaster is usually the end
and culmination of other evils, of sinful habits, of neglect of prayer and the
sacraments, of cowardice in the face of hostility to one's belief, of weakness
in yielding to the wishes of kindred or friends, of social ambition and the hope
of advantage in business or public career. More subtle are the dangers arising
from an atmosphere in which unbelief is mingled with culture and gentle
refinement, or in which the fallacy spreads that faith is hopelessly at variance
with scientific truth. To counteract these influences, it is necessary that they
who love the truth of God, should "the more and more abound in knowledge
and in all understanding" (Phil. 1:9). As they advance in years, they
should lay firmer hold upon the teachings of religion and be prepared to explain
and defend it. They will thus "Continue in faith, grounded and settled and
immovable from the hope of the Gospel" (Col. 1:23), ready always to give
"a reason of that hope that is in them" (1 Peter 3:15), and, if needs
be, to "contend earnestly for the faith once delivered to the saints"
(Jude 3).

The Scriptures

To the Church which is taught all truth by the Holy Spirit, Christ entrusted
the whole deposit of divine revelation. To the watchful care of the Church we
owe the preservation of that Book from which Christians in every age have
derived instruction and strength. How needful was the warning of the Apostle
that "no prophecy of Scripture is made by private interpretation" (2
Peter 1:20), appears in the history of those movements which began by leaving
each individual to take his own meaning from the sacred text and now, after four
centuries, have ended in rejecting its divine authority. The Church, on the
contrary, with true reverence for the Bible and solicitude for the spiritual
welfare of its readers, has guarded both it and them against the dangers of
false interpretation. In the same spirit, dear brethren, we exhort you to
acquire a loving familiarity with the written word: "for what things soever
were written, were written for our learning; that through patience and the
comfort of the Scriptures we might have hope" (Rom. 15:4). This intimate
knowledge of Holy Writ will bring you close to the person and life of our
Saviour and to the labors of His Apostles. It will renew in your hearts the joy
with which the first Christians received the tidings of salvation. And it will
deepen in you the conviction that the Scriptures are indeed the word of God,
"which can instruct you unto salvation by the faith which is in Christ
Jesus" (2 Tim. 3:15)—a conviction which cannot be shaken either by the
disputations of the learned who "stumble at the word," or by the
errors of the unlearned and unstable who wrest the Scriptures "to their own
destruction" (2 Peter 3:16).

The Catholic Spirit

The knowledge of our holy religion will enkindle in you a love of the Church,
which Christ so loved that He gave Himself for it, purchasing it with His blood.
It is the Church not of one race or of one nation, but of all those who truly
believe in His name. The more you dwell upon its teaching, its practice, and its
history, the stronger will be your sense of unity with the multitude of
believers throughout the world. You will clearly understand that the true
interests of each part, of each diocese and parish, are the interests of the
Church Universal. "You are the body of Christ and members of member. And if
one member suffer anything, all the members suffer with it; or, if one member
glory, all the members rejoice with it" (1 Cor. 12:26-27). This is the
practical meaning of Catholicity and its saving strength as opposed to the
weakness of localism. The really Catholic mind is careful not only for the needs
which affect its immediate surroundings, but for those also which press upon the
Church in less prosperous sections, or which, in far countries, hinder the
spread of religion. Such was the mind of those Christians to whom St. Paul
appealed in behalf of their distant brethren: "In this present time, let
your abundance supply their want; that their abundance may also supply your
want, that there may be an equality" (2 Cor. 8:14).

Your Catholic sense will also enable you to see how tireless the Church has
been in providing both for the souls of men and for their temporal needs: how
much of what is best in modern civilization, how much that we value in the way
of liberty and law, of art and industry, of science, education, and charity, is
due to the Catholic spirit. Like its Founder, the Church has gone about the
world doing good to all men; and with Him the Church can say: "the works
that I do in the name of my Father, they give testimony of me.... though you
will not believe me, believe the works" (John 10:25, 38). And this ministry
of love the Church will continue. It will adopt all agencies and means that may
render its service of better effect; it will quicken them all with the fervor of
charity lest they harden to mechanical form; and it will take utmost care that
they be employed to draw men nearer to Christ.

The spirit that made Vincent de Paul a saint and a hero of charity lives on
in his followers. According to the pattern which he gave, they minister to those
who are in any distress, quietly and effectually. Of late they have notably
increased their power for good. Through the Conference of Catholic Charities, a
"great door and evident" is opened upon a wider range of usefulness.
To all who are joined together in this holy undertaking we say with the Apostle:
"May the Lord multiply you and make you abound in charity one toward
another and toward all men; as we do also toward you" (1 Thes. 3:12).

Prayer

Be instant, therefore, dear brethren, in helping those who suffer or want;
but take heed also to your own spiritual life, that in thought and purpose and
motive, as well as in outward deed, you may be acceptable in the sight of God.
From the teaching of the Church and from your own experience, you know that
without the divine assistance you cannot walk in the footsteps of Christ. And
you need not be reminded that the principal means of grace are prayer and the
sacraments.

Through prayer we lift up our hearts to God, and He in turn enlightens our
minds, kindles our affections, gives power to our wills. For whether we adore
His majesty or praise Him for His wonderful works, whether we render Him thanks
for His goodness or beseech Him for pardon or beg Him to help and defend us, our
prayer is pleasing to Him: it goes up as incense before Him, as the voice of His
children to the Father who loves them, who pursues them with mercy and offers
them speedy forgiveness. Wherefore, in joy and in sorrow, in adversity and in
prosperity, "in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving,
let your petitions be made known to God" (Phil. 4:6).

We are certain that amid the trials of the last few years, you have prayed
without ceasing—for those who had gone from you to the post of duty and
danger, for your country, for the untold millions who fell in the struggle. Many
of you surely have found that it is "a holy and wholesome thought to pray
for the dead that they may be loosed from sins" (2 Mach. 12:46). This
doctrine and practice, so fully according with the impulse of human affection,
appeals to us now with singular force. For those who mourn, it is a source of
comfort; for all, it is the exercise of pure charity. And no petition could be
more pleasing to the Father of mercies than that which implores Him to grant to
our departed brethren everlasting rest in a place of refreshment, light, and
peace. The remembrance of those who are gone before us with the token of faith
will raise up our hearts above worldly desires; and whereas we are saddened by
the certain prospect of death, yet we shall be comforted with the promise of
immortal life, knowing that "if our earthly house of this habitation be
dissolved, we have a building of God, a house not made with hands, eternal in
heaven" (2 Cor. 5:1).

We heartily commend the beautiful practice of family prayer. "Where
there are two or three gathered in my name, there am I in the midst of
them" (Matt. 18:20). If this is true of the faithful in general, it applies
with particular meaning to those who are members of the same household. The
presence of Jesus will surely be a source of blessing to the home where parents
and children unite to offer up prayer in common. The spirit of piety which this
custom develops, will sanctify the bonds of family love and ward off the dangers
which so often bring sorrow and shame. We appeal in this matter with special
earnestness to young fathers and mothers, who have it in their power to mold the
hearts of their children and train them betimes in the habit of prayer.

The Sacrifice And The Sacraments

This will also inspire them with love for the public services of the Church
and, above all, for the central act of Catholic worship, the Holy Sacrifice of
the Mass. For the truly Catholic heart, there can be no need of insisting on the
duty which the Church enjoins of hearing Mass on Sundays and festivals of
obligation. We have only to stir up the faith that is in us, and consider that
on the altar is offered the same clean oblation whereby the world was redeemed
on the Cross; and as today no Christian can stand unmoved on Calvary, or pass
with indifference along the road which Jesus trod, so is it inconceivable that
any who believe in the word of Christ and His Church, should allow household
cares or business pursuits or the love of pleasure and ease to keep them away
from Mass. Negligence in respect of this duty may often result from lack of
proper instruction; and we therefore desire to impress upon parents, teachers,
and pastors the importance and the necessity of explaining to those in their
charge, the origin, nature, and value of the Holy Sacrifice, the meaning of the
sacred rites with which it is offered, and the order of the liturgy as it
advances from season to season. There is so much beauty in the worship of the
Church, so much power to fill the mind with great thoughts and lift up the heart
to heavenly things, that one who hears Mass with intelligent devotion cannot but
feel in his soul an impulse to holier living. Such is the experience of those
especially who begin each day by attending at Mass, and we rejoice to know that
their number is increasing. They will grow in faith and fervor, and their piety
will be for all a source of edification.

It is likewise consoling to see in our time a revival of the spirit which, in
primitive ages, led the Christian to receive each day "the Bread that came
down from heaven." In the Holy Eucharist, the love of Jesus Christ for men
passes all understanding. "He that eateth my flesh and drinketh my blood
abideth in me and I in him" (John 6:57). A worthy communion unites us with
our Saviour, and even transforms our spiritual being, so that we may say with
the Apostle: "I live, now not I; but Christ liveth in me" (Gal. 2:20).
As by His continual abiding within it, the Church is holy and without blemish,
so does the presence of Christ in each soul purify it even as He is pure, and
give it power to do all things in Him who strengthens it.

The sense of our unworthiness may incline us to draw back from the holy
table; but, as St. Paul tells us: "Let a man prove himself and so let him
eat of that bread and drink of the chalice" (1 Cor. 11:28). Only sin can
separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord, and for sin
He has provided a remedy in the sacrament of His mercy. "If we confess our
sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all
iniquity" (1 John 1:9). Through these two sacraments, the one given for the
healing of our souls, the other for their nourishment, we are established in the
life of grace and are "filled unto all the fullness of God" (Eph.
3:19).

Mary The Mother Of Christ

What grace can accomplish in His creatures, God has shown in the person of
her whom He chose to be His mother, preserving her from all stain and endowing
her with such pureness of heart that she is truly "full of grace" and
"blessed among women." The unique privilege of Mary as co-operating in
the Incarnation, entitles her to reverence and honor; but in the Catholic mind
it is love that prompts veneration for the Mother of Christ. It is indeed beyond
comprehension that any who sincerely love Jesus, should be cold or indifferent
in regard to His Mother. No honor that we may pay her can ever equal that which
God Himself has conferred, and much less can it detract from the honor that is
due to Him.

In keeping with her singular dignity is the power of Mary's intercession. If
the prayers of holy men avail to obtain the divine assistance, the petitions of
Mary in our behalf must be far more efficacious. With good reason, then, does
the Church encourage the faithful to cultivate a tender devotion for the Blessed
Virgin. But if all generations should call her blessed, and if the peoples of
earth should glory in her protection, we in the United States have a particular
duty to honor Mary Immaculate as the heavenly Patroness of our country. Let her
blessed influence preserve our Catholic homes from all contagion of evil, and
keep our children in pureness of heart. Let us also pay her the tribute of
public honor in a way that will lead all our people to a fuller appreciation of
Mary, the perfect woman and the surpassing model of motherhood. As Pope Benedict
has declared, it is eminently fitting that the devotion of American Catholics to
the Mother of God should find expression in a temple worthy of our celestial
Patroness. May the day soon dawn when we shall rejoice at the completion of so
grand an undertaking; for, as the Holy Father says in commending the project of
the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception, "our human society has
reached that stage in which it stands in most urgent need of the aid of Mary
Immaculate, no less than of the joint endeavors of all mankind" (<Letter
to the Hierarchy>, April 10, 1919).

Catholic Education

The nursery of Christian life is the Catholic home; its stronghold, the
Catholic school. "In the great coming combat between truth and error,
between Faith and Agnosticism, an important part of the fray must be borne by
the laity.... And if, in the olden days of vassalage and serfdom, the Church
honored every individual, no matter how humble his position, and labored to give
him the enlightenment that would qualify him for higher responsibilities, much
more now, in the era of popular rights and liberties, when every individual is
an active and influential factor in the body politic, does she desire that all
should be fitted by suitable training for an intelligent and conscientious
discharge of the important duties that may devolve upon them."

The timely warning contained in these words from the Pastoral Letter of 1884
shows how clearly our predecessors discerned the need, both present and future,
of Christian education. Their forecast has been verified. The combat which they
predicted has swept around all the sources of thought, and has centered upon the
school. There, especially, the interests of morality and religion are at stake;
and there, more than anywhere else, the future of the nation is determined. For
that reason, we give most hearty thanks to the Father of Lights who has blessed
our Catholic schools and made them to prosper. We invoke His benediction upon
the men and women who have consecrated their lives to the service of Christian
education. They are wholesome examples of the self-forgetfulness which is
necessary in time of peace no less than in crisis and danger. Through their
singleness of purpose and their sacrifice, the Church expresses the truth that
education is indeed a holy work, not merely a service to the individual and
society, but a furtherance of God's design for man's salvation. With them we
realize, more fully than ever before, the necessity of adhering to the
principles on which our schools are established. If our present situation is
beset with new problems, it is also rich in opportunity; and we are confident
that our teachers will exert themselves to the utmost in perfecting their work.
Their united counsel in the Catholic Educational Association has already
produced many excellent results, and it justifies the hope that our schools may
be organized into a system that will combine the utilities of free initiative
with the power of unified action. With a common purpose so great and so holy to
guide them, and with a growing sense of solidarity, our educators will recognize
the advantage which concerted effort implies both for the Catholic system as a
whole and for each of the allied institutions.

We deem it necessary at this time to emphasize the value for our people of
higher education, and the importance of providing and receiving it under
Catholic auspices. "Would that even now, as we trust will surely come to
pass in the future, the work of education were so ordered and established that
Catholic youth might proceed from our Catholic elementary schools to Catholic
schools of higher grade and in these attain the object of their desires"
(<Third Plenary Council: Acts and Decrees>, 208). This wish and ideal of
our predecessors, in a gratifying measure, has been realized through the
establishment of Catholic high schools and the development of our Catholic
colleges. These have more than doubled in number; they have enlarged their
facilities and adjusted their courses to modern requirements. We congratulate
their directors and teachers, and with them we see, in the present condition of
their institutions, the possibility and the promise of further achievement in
accordance with their own aspirations.

In educational progress, the teacher's qualification is the vital element.
This is manifestly true of the Catholic school, in which the teacher's
personality contributes so much toward the building of character and the
preservation of faith along with the pupil's instruction in knowledge. If,
therefore, the aim of our system is to have Catholic youth receive its education
in its completeness from Catholic sources, it is equally important, and even
more urgently necessary, that our teachers should be trained under those
influences and by those agencies which place the Catholic religion at the heart
of instruction, as the vitalizing principle of all knowledge and, in particular,
of educational theory and practice. We note with satisfaction that our teachers
are eager for such training, and that measures have been taken to provide it
through institutes, summer schools, and collegiate courses under university
direction. We are convinced that this movement will invigorate our education and
encourage our people, since the work of teachers who are thoroughly prepared is
the best recommendation of the school.

We cannot too highly approve the zeal and liberality of those who, with large
amount or small, have aided us in building up our schools. For what we value as
significant in their action is not alone the material help which it renders,
essential as this has become; but rather and chiefly the evidence which it
affords of their spiritual sense and perception. It shows that they appreciate
both the necessity of Catholic education and the unselfish devotion of our
teachers. At a time, especially, when vast fortunes are so freely lavished upon
education in other lines, it is edifying to see our people either dedicating
their individual wealth to the cause of religious instruction or, as members of
Catholic associations, combining their means for the same noble purpose. They,
assuredly, have given an object lesson, teaching all by their example, "to
do good, to be rich in good works, to give easily, to communicate to others, to
lay up in store for themselves a good foundation against the time to come, that
they may lay hold on the true life" (1 Tim. 6:18-19).

The Catholic University

It was the progress of our academies, colleges, and seminaries from colonial
days onward, that made the university possible; and it was the demand, created
by them, for larger opportunities that made it a necessity. Established, at the
instance of the bishops, by Pope Leo XIII, it represents the joint action of the
Holy See and the American Hierarchy in behalf of higher education. Like the
first universities of Europe, it was designed to be the home of all the sciences
and the common base of all our educational forces. This twofold purpose has
guided its development. As in the Ages of Faith and Enlightenment, the various
religious orders gathered at the centers of learning which the Holy See had
established, so in our own day, the orders have grouped their houses of study
about the university, in accordance with the express desire of its founders.
"We exhort you all," said the Pontiff, "to affiliate your
seminaries, colleges and other Catholic institutions of learning with your
University on the terms which its statutes suggest" (Apostolic Letter,
<Magni Nobis gaudii>, March 7, 1889). As the process of affiliation is
extended to our high schools, it benefits them and also provides a better class
of students for our colleges. In keeping, then, with the aims of its founders,
the university exists for the good and the service of all our schools. Through
them and through their teachers, it returns with interest the generous support
of our clergy and laity.

"By no means surprising or unexpected," said Pope Pius X, "is
the steady and vigorous growth of the Catholic University which, located at
Washington, the Capital City of the American Republic, built up by the offerings
of the Catholic people and invested by the Apostolic See with full academic
authority, is now become the fruitful parent of knowledge in all the sciences
both human and divine.... We are fully determined on developing the Catholic
University. For we clearly understand how much a Catholic university of high
repute and influence can do toward spreading and upholding Catholic doctrine and
furthering the cause of civilization. To protect it, therefore, and to quicken
its growth is, in our judgment, equivalent to rendering most valuable service to
religion and to country alike" (<Letter to the Cardinal Chancellor>,
January 5, 1912).

To the same intent, Pope Benedict XV writes: "We have followed with joy
its marvellous progress so closely related to the highest hope of your Churches
. . . well knowing that you have all hitherto contributed in no small measure to
the development of this seat of higher studies, both ecclesiastical and secular.
Nor have we any doubt but that henceforth you will continue even more actively
to support an institution of such great usefulness and promise as is the
University" (<Letter to the Hierarchy>, April 10, 1919).

It is our earnest desire that the university should attain fully the scope of
its founders, and thereby become an educational center worthy of the Church in
America, worthy also of the zeal which our clergy and laity have shown in behalf
of education. Its progress and prosperity will make it, as the Holy Father
trusts, "the attractive center about which all will gather who love the
teachings of our Catholic Faith."

Catholic Societies

Considering the great good accomplished by our Catholic societies, the
Fathers of the Third Plenary Council expressed the desire "to see their
number multiplied and their organization perfected." That desire has been
fulfilled. The rapid development of our country provides ample occasion, even
under normal conditions, for those activities which attain success through
organization. Continually, new problems appear and opportunities arise to spread
the Faith, to foster piety, to counteract tendencies which bode evil, either
openly or under attractive disguise. In response to these demands, our Catholic
associations have increased their usefulness by selecting special lines of
activity, and by following these out wherever the cause of religion was in need
or in peril. Through the hearty co-operation of clergy and laity, these agencies
have wrought "good to all men, especially to those who are of the household
of the faith" (Gal. 6:10). They have enlisted our Catholic youth in the
interests of faith and charity, provided in numberless ways for the helpless and
poor, shielded the weak against temptation, spread sound ideals of social and
industrial reform and furthered the public welfare by their patriotic spirit and
action. We rejoice in the fruits of their fellowship, and we desire of them that
they strive together for the highest and best, "considering one another to
provoke unto charity and to good works" (Heb. 10:24).

The tendency on the part of our societies to coalesce in larger organizations
is encouraging. It arises from their consciousness of the Catholic purpose for
which each and all are striving; and it holds out the promise of better results,
both for the attainment of their several objects and for the promotion of their
common cause, the welfare of the Church. The aim which inspired the Federation
of our Catholic Societies, and which more recently has led to the Federation of
Catholic Alumnae, is worthy of the highest commendation. It manifests a truly
Catholic spirit, and it suggests wider possibilities for good which a more
thorough organization will enable us to realize.

We regard as specially useful the work of associations like the Church
Extension Society and the Missionary Unions, in securing the blessings of
religion and the means of worship for those who suffer from poverty or
isolation. The sections of our country in which Catholics are few offer, no less
than the populous centers, a field for zealous activity; and we heartily
encourage all projects for assisting those who, in spite of adverse
circumstances, have preserved the faith, for reclaiming many others who have
lost it, and for bringing to our non-Catholic brethren the knowledge of our holy
religion.

Home Missions

As we thus survey the progress of the Church in our country and throughout
the world, we cannot but think of the greater good which might result if men of
worthy disposition were all united in faith. For we gladly recognize the upright
will and generosity of many who are not yet "come to the city of the living
God" and "to the Church of the first-born" (Heb. 12:22). We know
that among them are men of judgment, who with spiritual insight are looking to
the Catholic Church for the sure way of salvation; and that not a few, with
exceptional talent for historical research, have set forth in their scholarly
writings the unbroken succession of the Church of Rome from the Apostles, the
integrity of its doctrine, and the steadfast power of its discipline. To all
such earnest inquirers we repeat the invitation given them by Pope Leo XIII:
"Let our fervent desire toward you, even more than our words, prevail. To
you we appeal, our brethren who for over three centuries have differed from us
regarding our Christian faith; and to all of you likewise who in later times,
for any reason whatsoever, have turned away from us. Let us all 'meet together
in the unity of faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God' (Eph. 4:13).
Suffer that we invite you to the unity which has always existed in the Catholic
Church and which never can fail. Lovingly we stretch forth our hands to you; the
Church, our mother and yours, calls upon you to return; the Catholics of the
whole world await you with brotherly longing, that you together with us may
worship God in holiness, with hearts united in perfect charity by the profession
of one Gospel, one faith and one hope" (Apostolic Letter, <Praeclara
gratulationis>, June 20, 1894).

We give thanks to our Lord Jesus Christ, for His mercy upon so many who were
scattered abroad and in distress even as sheep that have no shepherd. Year by
year, "the multitude of men and women who believe in the Lord is more
increased" (Acts 5:14). But though conversions are numerous, much remains
to be done. "Other sheep I have that are not of this fold: them also I must
bring, and they shall hear my voice, and there shall be one fold and one
shepherd" (John 10:16).

Pray fervently, therefore, that light may be given to those who yet are
seeking the way, that they may understand the nature of that union and concord
so clearly set forth by Christ Himself, when He prayed to the Father, not only
for His Apostles, "but for them also who through their word shall believe
in me: that they all may be one, as thou, Father, in me and I in thee; that they
also may be one in us, that the world may believe that thou hast sent me"
(John 17:20, 21). Now Christ and the Father are one, not by any outward bond of
the least possible agreement but by perfect identity in all things.

Negro And Indian Missions

In our own country there are fields of missionary labor that call in a
special manner for assiduous cultivation. There are races less fortunate in a
worldly sense and, for that very reason, more fully dependent on Christian zeal.
The lot of the Negro and Indian, though latterly much improved, is far from
being what the Church would desire. Both have been hampered by adverse
conditions, yet both are responsive to religious ministration. In the eyes of
the Church there is no distinction of race or of nation; there are human souls,
and these have all alike been purchased at the same great price, the blood of
Jesus Christ.

This is the truth that inspires our Catholic missionaries and enables them to
make such constant efforts in behalf of those needy races. We commend their work
to the faithful in every part of our country. In the name of justice and
charity, we deprecate most earnestly all attempts at stirring up racial hatred;
for this, while it hinders the progress of all our people, and especially of the
Negro, in the sphere of temporal welfare, places serious obstacles to the
advance of religion among them. We concur in the belief that education is the
practical means of bettering their condition; and we emphasize the need of
combining moral and religious training with the instruction that is given them
in other branches of knowledge. Let them learn from the example and word of
their teachers the lesson of Christian virtue: it will help them more
effectually than any skill in the arts of industry, to solve their problems and
to take their part in furthering the general good.

Foreign Missions

"The mission which our Lord Jesus Christ, on the eve of His return to
the Father, entrusted to His disciples, bidding them 'go into the whole world
and preach the Gospel to every creature' (Mark 16:15)—that office most high
and most holy—was certainly not to end with the life of the Apostles: it was
to be continued by their successors even to the consummation of the world, as
long, namely, as there—should live upon earth men to be freed by the
truth" (Apostolic Letter, <Maximum Illud>, November 30, 1919).

These words of the Holy Father, addressed, with his characteristic love of
souls, to all the bishops of the Church, have for us in America a peculiar force
and significance. The care of our Catholic population, which is constantly
increased by the influx of immigrants from other countries, hitherto has fully
occupied the energies of our clergy and of our missionary organizations. Until
quite recently, the Church in the United States was regarded as a missionary
field. As such it has drawn upon Europe for recruits to the priesthood and the
religious orders, and for financial assistance, which it owes so largely to the
Society for the Propagation of the Faith.

The time now has come to show our grateful appreciation: "freely have
you received, freely give" (Matt. 10:8). Wherever we turn in this whole
land, the memory of the pioneers of our Faith confronts us. Let it not appeal in
vain. Let it not be said, to our reproach, that American commerce has
outstripped American Catholic zeal, or that others have entered in to reap where
Catholic hands had planted, perchance where Catholic blood had watered the soil.

"Lift up your eyes, and see the countries, for they are white already to
harvest" (John 4:35). Consider the nations that lie to the south of our
own, and in them the manifold needs of religion. Look to the farther east where
of old a Francis Xavier spread the light of the Gospel. Think of the peoples in
Asia, so long estranged from the Faith which their forefathers received from the
Apostles. In some of these lands, entire populations grow up and pass away
without hearing the name of Christ. In others, the seed of God's word has been
planted and there is promise of vigorous growth; but there is none to gather the
fruit. "The harvest indeed is great, but the laborers are few" (Matt.
9:37).

"Pray ye therefore the Lord of the harvest that he send forth laborers
into his harvest" (<ibid.>, 38). This, as the Holy Father reminds us,
is our first obligation in regard to the missions. However eager the
missionaries, they will labor in vain, unless God give the increase. This is
also the appropriate object of the Apostleship of Prayer, whose members, to our
great joy, are steadily becoming more numerous. Let all the faithful associate
themselves with it and thus contribute, by their prayers at least, to the
success of the missions.

In the next place, measures must be taken to increase the supply of laborers.
They were few before the war; and now they are fewer. Unite with us, therefore,
in praying that the special grace and vocation, which this holy enterprise
demands, may be granted more abundantly We gladly encourage young men who feel
in their souls the prompting and desire for the missionary career. And we bless
with cordial approval the efforts of those who, in our colleges and seminaries,
develop this apostolic spirit and train up workers for the distant parts of the
vineyard.

We appeal, finally, to the generosity of the faithful in behalf of the
devoted men who already are bearing the heat of the day and the burden. They
have given all. Let us help them at least to overcome the difficulties which the
war has occasioned, and to develop the work which they are doing, with
inadequate means, in their schools, orphanages, and other institutions. So shall
we have some part in their labors, and likewise in their reward. For "he
that reapeth receiveth wages, and gathereth fruit unto life everlasting; that
both he that soweth and he that reapeth, may rejoice together" (John 4:36).

Vocations

As the departments of Catholic activity multiply, and as each expands to meet
an urgent need, the problem of securing competent leaders and workers becomes
day by day more serious. The success of a religious enterprise depends to some
extent upon the natural ability and character of those who have it in charge.
But if it be truly the work of God, it must be carried on by those whom He
selects. To His Apostles the Master said: "You have not chosen me: but I
have chosen you, and have appointed you, that you should go and should bring
forth fruit; and your fruit should remain" (John 15:16). Of the priesthood
St. Paul declares: "Neither cloth any man take the honor to himself, but he
that is called of God" (Heb. 5:4). The same applies, in due proportion, to
all who would enter the Master's service in any form of the religious state. And
since our educational, charitable, and missionary undertakings are for the most
part conducted by the priest, the Brother, and the Sister, the number of
vocations must increase to supply the larger demand.

God, assuredly, in His unfailing providence, has marked for the grace of
vocation those who are to serve Him as His chosen instruments. It lies with us
to recognize these vessels of election and to set them apart, that they may be
duly fashioned and tempered for the uses of their calling. To this end, we
charge all those who have care of souls to note the signs of vocation, to
encourage young men and women who manifest the requisite dispositions, and to
guide them with prudent advice. Let parents esteem it a privilege surpassing all
worldly advantage, that God should call their sons or daughters to His service.
Let teachers also remember that, after the home, the school is the garden in
which vocations are fostered. To discern them in time, to hedge them about with
careful direction, to strengthen and protect them against worldly allurement,
should be our constant aim.

In our concern and desire for the increase of vocations, we are greatly
encouraged as we reflect upon the blessings which the Church has enjoyed in this
respect. The generosity of so many parents, the sacrifices which they willingly
make that their children may follow the calling of God, and the support so
freely given to institutions for the training of priests and religious, are
edifying and consoling. For such proofs of zeal, we return most hearty thanks to
Him who is pleased to accept from His faithful servants the offerings of the
gifts which He bestows.

The training of those who are called to the priesthood is at once a privilege
and a grave responsibility. This holiest of all educational duties we entrust to
the directors and teachers of our seminaries. Because they perform it
faithfully, we look with confidence to the future, in the assurance that our
clergy will be fully prepared for the tasks which await them. "That the man
of God may be perfect, furnished to every good work" (2 Tim. 3:17) is the
end for which the seminary exists. The model which it holds up is no other than
Jesus Christ. Its course of instructions begin with St. Paul's exhortation:
"holy brethren, partakers of the heavenly vocation, consider the apostle
and high priest of our confession, Jesus" (Heb. 3:1); and it ends with the
promise: "thou shalt be a good minister of Christ Jesus, nourished up in
the words of faith and of the good doctrine which thou hast attained unto"
(1 Tim. 4:6).

The Catholic Press

The functions of the Catholic Press are of special value to the Church in our
country. To widen the interest of our people by acquainting them with the
progress of religion throughout the world, to correct false or misleading
statements regarding our belief and practice, and, as occasion offers, to
present our doctrine in popular form—these are among the excellent aims of
Catholic journalism. As a means of forming sound public opinion, it is
indispensable. The vital issues affecting the nation's welfare usually turn upon
moral principles. Sooner or later, discussion brings forward the question of
right and wrong. The treatment of such subjects from the Catholic point of view
is helpful to all our people. It enables them to look at current events and
problems in the light of the experience which the Church has gathered through
centuries, and it points the surest way to a solution that will advance our
common interests.

The unselfish zeal displayed by Catholic journalists entitles them to a more
active support than hitherto has been given. By its very nature the scope of
their work is specialized; and, within the limitations thus imposed, they are
doing what no other agency could accomplish or attempt, in behalf of our homes,
societies, and schools.

In order to obtain the larger results and the wider appreciation which their
efforts must deserve and which we most earnestly desire, steps must be taken to
co-ordinate the various lines of publicity and secure for each a higher degree
of usefulness. Each will then offer to those who are properly trained, a better
opportunity for service in this important field.

At all times helpful to the cause of religion, a distinctively Catholic
literature is the more urgently needed now that, owing to the development in our
country and the progress of education, there has grown up a taste for reading
and, among many of our people, a desire for accurate knowledge of the Church. In
recent times, and notably during the past three decades, there has been a
gratifying increase in the number of Catholic authors, and their activity has
been prolific of good results. By the simple process of telling the truth about
our faith and its practices, they have removed, to a considerable extent, those
prejudices and erroneous views which so often hinder even fair-minded thinkers
from understanding our position. As so much had been accomplished by individual
writers in this and other countries it was wisely thought that even greater
benefit would accrue from their co-operation. The realization of this idea in
the <Catholic Encyclopedia> has given us a monumental work, and opened to
all inquirers a storehouse of information regarding the Church, its history,
constitution, and doctrine. It has furthermore shown the value and power for
good of united effort in behalf of a high common purpose; and we therefore trust
that while serving as a means of instruction to our clergy and people, it will
give inspiration to other endeavors with similar aim and effect, in every field
of Catholic action.

The Obvious Outcome

The progress of the Church, which we have reviewed, has been no easy
achievement. There have been trials and difficulties; and, as Christ predicted,
there have been frequent attempts to hamper the Church just where and when it
was doing the greatest good for our common humanity.

In the net result, however, the Church has been strengthened, to its own
profit and to that of the world at large. In an age that is given to material
pursuits, it upholds the ideals of the spiritual life. To minds that see only
intellectual values, it teaches the lesson of moral obligation. Amid widespread
social confusion, it presents in concrete form the principle of authority as the
basis of social order. And it appears as the visible embodiment of faith and
hope and charity, at the very time when the need of these is intensified by
conditions in the temporal order.

Secular Conditions

The temporal order, in the last thirty-five years, has undergone radical
changes. It has been affected by movements which, though checked for a time or
reversed, have steadily gathered momentum. Their direction and goal are no
longer matters of surmise or suspicion. Their outcome is plainly before us.

During the first three decades of this period, the advance of civilization
was more rapid and more general than in any earlier period of equal length. The
sound of progress, echoing beyond its traditional limits, aroused all the
nations to a sense of their possibilities, and stirred each with an ambition to
win its share in the forward movement of the world. At the same time, the idea
of a human weal for whose promotion all should strive and by whose attainment
all should profit, seemed to be gaining universal acceptance. If rivalry here
and there gave occasion for friction or conflict, it was treated as incidental:
the general desire for harmony, apparently, was nearing fulfillment.

Toward this end the highest tendencies in the secular order were steadily
converging. A wider diffusion of knowledge provided the basis for a mutual
understanding of rights and obligations. Science, while attaining more
completely to the mastery of nature, placed itself more effectually at the
service of man. Through its practical applications, it hastened material
progress, facilitated the intercourse of nation with nation, and thus lowered
the natural barriers of distance and time. But it also made possible a fuller
exchange of ideas, and thereby revealed to the various peoples of the earth
that, in respect of need, aspiration, and purpose, they had more in common than
generally was supposed. It helped them to see that however they differed in
race, tradition, and language, in national temper and political organization,
they were humanly one in the demand for freedom with equal right and
opportunity.

As this consciousness developed in mankind at large, the example of our own
country grew in meaning and influence. For a century and more, it had taught the
world that men could live and prosper under free institutions. During the period
in question, it has continued to receive the multitudes who came not, as in the
early days, from a few countries only, but from every foreign land, to enjoy the
blessings of liberty and to better their worldly condition. In making them its
own, America has shown a power of assimilation that is without precedent in the
temporal order. With their aid it has undertaken and achieved industrial tasks
on a scale unknown to former generations. The wealth thus produced has been used
in generous measure to build up institutions of public utility. Education, in
particular, has flourished; its importance has been more fully recognized, its
problems more widely discussed, the means of giving and obtaining it more freely
supplied. While its aim has been to raise the intellectual level and thereby
enhance the worth of the individual, experience has shown the advantage of
organized effort for the accomplishment of any purpose in which the people as a
whole, or any considerable portion, has an interest. Hence the remarkable
development of associations which, though invested with no authority, have
become powerful enough to shape public opinion and even to affect the making of
laws. If, in some instances, the power of association has been directed toward
ends that were at variance with the general good and by methods which created
disturbance, there has been, on the whole, a willingness to respect authority
and to abide by its decisions.

Thus, as it appears, the whole trend of human affairs was securing the world
in peace. The idea of war was farthest from the minds of the peoples. The
possibility of war had ceased to be a subject for serious discussion. To adjust
their disputes, the nations had set up a tribunal. The volume of seeming
prosperity swelled.

Catholic War Activities

Once it had been decided that our country should enter the war, no words of
exhortation were needed to arouse the Catholic spirit. This had been shown in
every national crisis. It had stirred to eloquent expression the Fathers of the
Third Plenary Council.

"We consider the establishment of our country's independence, the
shaping of its liberties and laws, as a work of special Providence, its framers
'building better than they knew,' the Almighty's hand guiding them.... We
believe that our country's heroes were the instruments of the God of nations in
establishing this home of freedom; to both the Almighty and to His instruments
in the work we look with grateful reverence; and to maintain the inheritance of
freedom which they have left us, should it ever—which God forbid—be
imperiled, our Catholic citizens will be found to stand forward as one man,
ready to pledge anew 'their lives, their fortunes and their sacred honor."'

The prediction has been fulfilled. The traditional patriotism of our Catholic
people has been amply demonstrated in the day of their country's trial. And we
look with pride upon the record which proves, as no mere protestation could
prove, the devotion of American Catholics to the cause of American freedom.

To safeguard the moral and physical welfare of our Catholic soldiers and
sailors, organized action was needed. The excellent work already accomplished by
the Knights of Columbus, pointed the way to further undertaking. The unselfish
patriotism with which our various societies combined their forces in the
Catholic Young Men's Association, the enthusiasm manifested by the organizations
of Catholic women, and the eagerness of our clergy to support the cause of the
nation, made it imperative to unify the energies of the whole Catholic body and
direct them toward the American purpose. With this end in view, the National
Catholic War Council was formed by the hierarchy. Through the Committee on
Special War Activities and the Knights of Columbus Committee on War Activities,
the efforts of our people in various lines were co-ordinated and rendered more
effective, both in providing for the spiritual needs of all Catholics under arms
and in winning our country's success. This unified action was worthy of the
Catholic name. It was in keeping with the pledge which the hierarchy had given
our Government: "Our people, now as ever, will rise as one man to serve the
nation. Our priests and consecrated women will once again, as in every former
trial of our country, win by their bravery, their heroism and their service new
admiration and approval" (<Letter to the President>, April 18, 1917).

To our chaplains especially we give the credit that is their due for the
faithful performance of their obligations. In the midst of danger and
difficulty, under the new and trying circumstances which war inevitably brings,
they acted as priests.

The account of our men in the service adds a new page to the record of
Catholic loyalty. It is what we expected and what they took for granted. But it
has a significance that will be fairly appreciated when normal conditions
return. To many assertions it answers with one plain fact.

The National Catholic Welfare Council

In view of the results obtained through the merging of our activities for the
time and purpose of war, we determined to maintain, for the ends of peace, the
spirit of union and the co-ordination of our forces. We have accordingly grouped
together, under the National Catholic Welfare Council, the various agencies by
which the cause of religion is furthered. Each of these, continuing its own
special work in its chosen field, will now derive additional support through
general co-operation. And all will be brought into closer contact with the
hierarchy, which bears the burden alike of authority and of responsibility for
the interests of the Catholic Church.

Under the direction of the Council and, immediately, of the Administrative
Committee, several departments have been established, each with a specific
function, as follows:

The Department of Education, to study the problems and conditions which
affect the work and development of our Catholic schools;

The Department of Social Welfare, to co-ordinate those activities which aim
at improving social conditions in accordance with the spirit of the Church;

The Department of Press and Literature, to systematize the work of
publication;

The Department of Societies and Lay Activities, to secure a more thoroughly
unified action among our Catholic organizations.

For the development and guidance of missionary activity, provision has been
made through The American Board of Catholic Missions, which will have in charge
both the Home and the Foreign Missions.

The organization of these departments is now in progress. To complete it,
time and earnest co-operation will be required. The task assigned to each is so
laborious and yet so promising of results, that we may surely expect, with the
divine assistance and the loyal support of our clergy and people, to promote
more effectually the glory of God, the interests of His Church, and the welfare
of our country.

Lessons Of The War

In order that our undertakings may be wisely selected and prudently carried
on, we should consider seriously the lessons of the War, the nature of our
present situation, and the principles which must guide the adjustment of all our
relations.

Our estimate of the war begins, naturally, with the obvious facts: with the
number of peoples involved, the vastness and effectiveness of their armaments,
the outlay in treasure and toil, the destruction of life and the consequent
desolation which still lies heavy on the nations of Europe. Besides these
visible aspects, we know somewhat of the spiritual suffering—of the sorrow and
hopelessness which have stricken the souls of men. And deeper than these, beyond
our power of estimation, is the moral evil, the wrong whose magnitude only the
Searcher of hearts can determine.

For we may not forget that in all this strife of the peoples, in the
loosening of passion and the seething of hate, sin abounded. Not the rights of
man alone but the law of God was openly disregarded. And if we come before Him
now in thankfulness, we must come with contrite hearts, in all humility
beseeching Him that He continue His mercies toward us, and enable us so to order
our human relations that we may both atone for our past transgressions and
strengthen the bond of peace with a deeper charity for our fellow men and purer
devotion to His service.

We owe it to His goodness that our country has been spared the suffering and
desolation which war has spread so widely. Our homes, our natural resources, our
means of intercourse and the institutions which uphold the life of our nation
have all been preserved. We are free, without let or hindrance, to go forward in
the paths of industry, of culture, of social improvement and moral reform. The
sense of opportunity has quickened us, and we turn with eagerness to a future
that offers us boundless advantage.

Let us not turn hastily. Our recent experience has taught us innumerable
lessons, too full and profound to be mastered at once. Their ultimate meaning a
later generation will ponder and comprehend. But even now we can recognize the
import of this conspicuous fact: a great nation, conscious of power yet wholly
given to peace and unskilled in the making of war, gathered its might and put
forth its strength in behalf of freedom and right as the inalienable endowment
of all mankind. When its aims were accomplished, it laid down its arms, without
gain or acquisition, save in the clearer understanding of its own ideals and the
fuller appreciation of the blessings which freedom alone can bestow.

The achievement was costly. It meant interruption of peaceful pursuits,
hardship at home, and danger abroad. Not one class or state or section, but the
people as a whole had to take up the burden. This spirit of union and sacrifice
for the commonweal found its highest expression in the men and women who went to
service in distant lands. To them, and especially those who died that America
might live, we are forever indebted. Their triumph over self is the real
victory, their loyalty the real honor of our nation, their fidelity to duty the
bulwark of our freedom.

To such men and their memory, eulogy is at best a poor tribute. We shall not
render them their due nor show ourselves worthy to name them as our own, unless
we inherit the spirit and make it the soul of our national life. The very
monuments we raise in their honor will become a reproach to us, if we fail in
those things of which they have left us such splendid example.

The Present Situation

We entered the war with the highest of objects, proclaiming at every step
that we battled for the right and pointing to our country as a model for the
world's imitation. We accepted therewith the responsibility of leadership in
accomplishing the task that lies before mankind. The world awaits our
fulfillment. Pope Benedict himself has declared that our people, "retaining
a most firm hold on the principles of reasonable liberty and of Christian
civilization, are destined to have the chief role in the restoration of peace
and order on the basis of those same principles, when the violence of these
tempestuous days shall have passed" (<Letter to the Hierarchy>, April
10, 1919).

This beyond doubt is a glorious destiny, far more in keeping with the aims of
our people than the triumph of armies or the conquest of wider domain. Nor is it
an impossible destiny, provided we exemplify in our own national life "the
principles of reasonable liberty and of Christian civilization."

At present, however, we are confronted with problems at home that give us the
gravest concern. Intent as we were on restoring the order of Europe, we did not
sufficiently heed the symptoms of unrest in our country, nor did we reckon with
movements which, in their final result, would undo both our recent achievement
and all that America has so far accomplished.

These are due, partly, to the disturbance which war invariably causes, by
turning men away from their usual occupations, by reducing production,
increasing taxation and adding to the number of those who are dependent and
helpless. The majority of the people do not realize to what an extent the
necessities of war diverted industrial and other activities from their ordinary
course. There naturally results irritation and impatience at the slowness with
which reconstruction proceeds.

Deeper and more ominous is the ferment in the souls of men, that issues in
agitation not simply against defects in the operation of the existing order, but
also against that order itself, its framework and very foundation. In such a
temper men see only the facts—the unequal distribution of wealth, power, and
worldly advantage—and against the facts they rebel. But they do not discern
the real causes that produce those effects, and much less the adequate means by
which both causes and effects can be removed. Hence, in the attempt at remedy,
methods are employed which result in failure, and beget a more hopeless
confusion.

To men of clearer vision and calmer judgment, there comes the realization
that the things on which they relied for the world's security have broken under
the strain. The advance of civilization, the diffusion of knowledge, the
unlimited freedom of thought, the growing relaxation of moral restraint—all
these, it was believed, had given such ample scope to individual aims and
desires that conflict, if it arose at all, could be readily and thoroughly
adjusted.

The assumption is not borne out by the facts. On the contrary, as in the war,
destruction was swifter and wider because of the progress of science, so our
present situation is complicated by increased ability to plan, to organize, and
to execute in any direction that may lead to any success. Education provided at
the public expense can now be used as the strongest means of attacking the
public weal; and to this end it will surely be used unless thinking and doing be
guided by upright motives. The consciousness of power, quickened by our
achievement in war but no longer checked by discipline nor directed to one
common purpose, has aroused parties, organizations, and even individuals to a
boldness of undertaking hitherto unknown. The result is an effort to press
onward in the pursuit of self-appointed ends, with little regard for principles
and still less for the altruism which we professed on entering the war.

On the other hand, it is true, intelligence, initiative, and energy have been
exerted to accomplish higher and worthier aims. It was thought that the
enthusiasm and eagerness for service which war had called forth, might easily be
directed toward useful and needed reforms. With this persuasion for their
impulse and guidance, various movements have been inaugurated either to uproot
some evil or to further some promising cause.

Now it is obvious that neither the pursuit of lofty ideals nor earnest
devotion to the general welfare, can do away with the fact that we are facing
grave peril. Much less can we hide that fact from view by increasing the means
and following the inclination to pleasure. No sadder contrast indeed can be
found than that which appears between careless enjoyment in countless forms, and
the grim struggle that is shaking the foundations of social existence. Craving
for excitement and its reckless gratification may blind us to danger; but the
danger is nonetheless real.

The practical conclusion which the present situation forces upon us is this:
to bring order out of confusion, we must first secure a sound basis and then
build up consistently. Mere expedients no longer suffice. To cover up evil with
a varnish of respectability or to rear a grand structure on the quicksand of
error, is downright folly. In spite of great earnestness on the part of their
leaders, reforms without number have failed, because they moved along the
surface of life, smoothing indeed its outward defects, yet leaving the source of
corruption within.

Christ And The Church

One true reform the world has known. It was effected, not by force,
agitation, or theory, but by a Life in which the perfect ideal was visibly
realized, becoming the "light of men." That light has not grown dim
with the passing of time. Men have turned their eyes away from it; even His
followers have strayed from its pathway; but the truth and the life of Jesus
Christ are real and clear today—for all who are willing to see. There is no
other name under heaven whereby the world can be saved.

Through the Gospel of Jesus and His living example, mankind learned the
meaning, and received the blessing, of liberty. In His person was shown the
excellence and true dignity of human nature, wherein human rights have their
center. In His dealings with men, justice and mercy, sympathy and courage, pity
for weakness and rebuke for hollow pretense were perfectly blended. Having
fulfilled the law, He gave to His followers a new commandment. Having loved His
own who were in the world, He loved them to the end. And since He came that they
might have life and have it more abundantly, He gave it to them through His
death.

The Church which Christ established has continued His work, upholding the
dignity of man, defending the rights of the people, relieving distress,
consecrating sacrifice, and binding all classes together in the love of their
Saviour. The combination of authority and reasonable freedom which is the
principal element in the organization of the Church, is also indispensable in
our social relations. Without it, there can be neither order nor law nor genuine
freedom.

But the Church itself would have been powerless save for the abiding presence
of Christ and His Spirit. "Without me, you can do nothing"; but again,
"Behold I am with you all days."—Both these sayings are as true
today as when they were spoken by the Master.

There may be philosophies and ideals and schemes of reform; the wise may
deliberate and the powerful exert their might; but when the souls of men have to
be reached and transformed to a better sense, that justice may reign and charity
abound, then more than ever is it true that without Christ our efforts are vain.

The Sources Of Evil

Instructed by His example, the Church deals with men as they really are,
recognizing both the capacities for good—and the inclinations to evil that are
in every human being. Exaggeration in either direction is an error. That the
world has progressed in many respects is obviously true; but it is equally plain
that the nature of man is what it was twenty centuries ago. Those who overlooked
this fact were amazed at the outbreak of war among nations that were foremost in
progress. But now it is evident that beneath the surface of civilization lay
smoldering the passions and jealousies that in all time past had driven the
nations to conflict. Pope Benedict expressed this truth when he pointed to the
causes of war; lack of mutual good will, contempt for authority, conflict of
class with class, and absorption in the pursuit of the perishable goods of this
world, with utter disregard of things that are nobler and worthier of human
endeavor (encyclical, <Ad Beatissimi>, November 1, 1914).

These are the seed and prolific sources of evil. As tendencies perhaps, they
cannot be wholly extirpated; but to justify them as principles of action, to
train them into systems of philosophy and let them, through education, become
the thought of the people, would be fatal to all our true interests. As long as
the teaching of false theory continues, we cannot expect that men will act in
accordance with truth. It is a mistake to suppose that philosophy has a meaning
for only the chosen few who enjoy the advantage of higher education and
leisurely thinking; and it is worse than a mistake to punish men for acting out
pernicious ideas, while the development and diffusion of those same ideas is
rewarded as advancement of knowledge. We surely need no further proof of the
dangers of materialism, of atheism, and of other doctrines that banish God from
His world, degrade man to the level of the brute, and reduce the moral order to
a struggle for existence. Argument against such doctrines, or theoretical
testing of their value, is superfluous, now that we see the result of their
practical application. And while, with every legitimate means we strive, as we
must, to uphold the rights of the public by the maintenance of order, let us be
fully convinced that we are dealing with the final and logical outcome of false
doctrine. Here again the source lies farther back. If we find that the fruit is
evil, we should know what to do with the root.

The Fundamental Error

It cannot be denied that the growth of knowledge and its application to
practical needs have made the earth a better habitation for man; many appear to
consider it—as his first and only abode. As the means of enjoyment are
multiplied, there is an increasing tendency to become absorbed in worldly
pursuits and to neglect those which belong to our eternal welfare. The trend of
speculative thought is in the same direction; for while the development of
science continually affords us evidence of law and order and purpose in the
world about us, many refuse to acknowledge in creation the work of an
intelligent author. They profess to see in the universe only the manifestation
of a Power, whose effects are absolutely determined through the operation of
mechanical forces; and they extend this conception to life and all its
relations. But once this view is accepted, it is easy to draw the conclusion
that the really decisive factor in human affairs is force. Whether by cunning or
by violence, the stronger is sure to prevail. It is a law unto itself and it is
accountable to none other, since the idea of a Supreme Lawgiver has vanished.

This indeed is the root evil whence spring the immediate causes of our
present condition. God, from whom all things are and on whom all things depend,
the Creator and Ruler of men, the source and sanction of righteousness, the only
Judge who with perfect justice

can weigh the deeds and read the hearts of men, has, practically at least,
disappeared from the whole conception of life so far as this is dominated by a
certain type of modern thought. Wherever this sort of thinking is taken as
truth, there is set up a scheme of life, individual, social, and political,
which seeks, not in the eternal but in the human and transitory, its ultimate
foundation. The law of morals is regarded as a mere convention arranged by men
to secure and enjoy the goods of this present time; and conscience itself as
simply a higher form of the instinct whereby the animal is guided. And yet
withal it lies in the very nature of man that something must be supreme,
something must take the place of the divine when this has been excluded; and
this substitute for God, according to a predominant philosophy, is the State.
Possessed of unlimited power to establish rights and impose obligations, the
State becomes the sovereign ruler in human affairs; its will is the last word of
justice, its welfare the determinant of moral values, its service the final aim
of man's existence and action.

God The Supreme Ruler

When such an estimate of life and its purpose is accepted, it is idle to
speak of the supreme value of righteousness, the sacredness of justice, or the
sanctity of conscience. Nevertheless, these are things that must be retained, in
name and in reality: the only alternative is that supremacy of force against
which humanity protests. To make the protest effectual, it is imperative that we
recognize in God the source of justice and right; in His law, the sovereign rule
of life; in the destiny which He has appointed for us, the ultimate standard by
which all values are fixed and determined. Reverent acknowledgment of our
dependence on Him and our responsibility to Him, acknowledgment not in word
alone but in the conduct of our lives, is at once our highest duty and our
strongest title to the enjoyment of our rights. This acknowledgment we express
in part by our service of prayer and worship. But prayer and worship will not
avail, unless we also render the broader service of good will which, in
conformity with His will, follows the path of duty in every sphere of life.

As we are not the authors of our own being, so we are not, in an absolute
sense, masters of ourselves and of our powers. We may not determine for
ourselves the ultimate aim of our existence or the means of its attainment. God
has established, by the very constitution of our nature, the end for which He
created us, giving us life as a sacred trust to be administered in accordance
with His design. Thereby He has also established the norm of our individual
worth, and the basis of our real independence. Obedience to His law, making our
wills identical with His, invests us with a personal dignity which neither
self-assertion nor the approval of others can ever bestow. The man who bows in
obedience to the law of his Maker rises above himself and above the world to an
independence that has no bounds save the Infinite. To do as God commands,
whatever the world may think or say, is to be free, not by human allowance but
under the approval of Him whose service is perfect freedom.

In the light of this central truth, we can understand and appreciate the
principle on which our American liberties are founded—"that all men are
endowed by their Creator with certain inalienable rights." These are
conferred by God with equal bounty upon every human being, and, therefore, in
respect of life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness, the same rights belong
to all men and for the same reason. Not by mutual concession or covenant, not by
warrant or grant from the State, are these rights established; they are the gift
and bestowal of God. In consequence of this endowment, and therefore in
obedience to the Creator's will, each of us is bound to respect the rights of
his fellow men. This is the essential meaning of justice, the great law
antecedent to all human enactment and contrivance, the only foundation on which
may rest securely the fabric of society and the structure of our political,
legal, and economic systems.

Justice

The obligation to give every man his due is binding at all times and under
all conditions. It permits no man to say, I will be just only when justice falls
in with my aims, or furthers my interests; and I will refrain from injustice
when this would expose me to failure, to loss of reputation, or to penalty
enacted by law. The obligation is binding in conscience, that representative of
God which He has established in our innermost selves, which requires our
obedience not merely out of self-respect or as a matter of our preference, but
as speaking in His name and expressing His mandate.

Let this spirit of justice and conscientious observance prevail in the
dealings of man with man: it will soon determine what practices are honest, what
methods are justified by the necessities of competition, by economic law, by
opportunity of profit, by the silence of the civil law or the laxity of its
administration. It will weigh in the same even balance the deeds of every man,
whatever his station or power; and it will appraise at their true moral value
all schemes and transactions, whether large or small, whether conducted by
individuals or groups or complex organizations.

The same spirit of justice that condemns dishonesty in private dealings, must
condemn even more emphatically any and every attempt on the part of individuals
to further their interests at the expense of the public welfare. The upright
citizen refuses as a matter of conscience to defraud his neighbor, to violate
his pledges, or to take unfair advantage. Likewise, in his business relations
with the. community as a whole, whatever the character of his service, he is
careful to observe the prescriptions of justice. He feels that if it is wrong to
overreach or circumvent his brother in any matter, the wrong is not less but far
more grievous when inflicted on the commonwealth.

Origin Of Authority

The true remedy for many of the disorders with which we are troubled is to be
found in a clearer understanding of civil authority. Rulers and people alike
must be guided by the truth that the State is not merely an invention of human
forethought, that its power is not created by human agreement or even by
nature's device. Destined as we are by our Maker to live together in social
intercourse and mutual co-operation for the fulfillment of our duties, the
proper development of our faculties, and the adequate satisfaction of our wants,
our association can be orderly and prosperous only when the wills of the many
are directed by that moral power which we call authority. This is the unifying
and co-ordinating principle of the social structure. It has its origin in God
alone. In whom it shall be vested and by whom exercised is determined in various
ways, sometimes by the outcome of circumstances and providential events,
sometimes by the express will of the people. But the right which it possesses to
legislate, to execute and administer is derived from God Himself. "There is
no power but from God; and those that are, are ordained of God" (Rom.
13:1). Consequently, "he that resisteth the power, resisteth the ordinance
of God" (<ibid.>, 2).

Powers Of The State

The State, then, has a sacred claim upon our respect and loyalty. It may
justly impose obligations and demand sacrifices for the sake of the common
welfare which it is established to promote. It is the means to an end, not an
end in itself; and because it receives its power from God, it cannot rightfully
exert that power through any act or measure that would be at variance with the
divine law, or with the divine economy for man's salvation. As long as the State
remains within its proper limits and really furthers the common good, it has a
right to our obedience. And this obedience we are bound to render, not merely on
grounds of expediency but as a conscientious duty. "Be subject of
necessity, not only for wrath but also for conscience sake" (<ibid.>,
5).

The end for which the State exists and for which authority is given it,
determines the limit of its powers. It must respect and protect the divinely
established rights of the individual and of the family. It must safeguard the
liberty of all, so that none shall encroach upon the rights of others. But it
may not rightfully hinder the citizen in the discharge of his conscientious
obligation, and much less in the performance of duties which he owes to God. To
all commands that would prevent him from worshiping the Creator in spirit and
truth, the citizen will uphold his right by saying with the Apostles: "We
ought to obey God rather than men" (Acts 5:29).

Where the State protects all in the reasonable exercise of their rights,
there liberty exists. "The nature of human liberty," says Leo XIII,
"however it be considered, whether in the individual or in society, whether
in those who are governed or in those who govern, supposes the necessity of
obedience to a supreme and eternal law, which is no other than the authority of
God, commanding good and forbidding evil; and so far from destroying or even
diminishing their liberty, the just authority of God over men protects it and
makes it perfect" (encyclical, <Libertas praestantissimum>, June 20,
1888).

The State itself should be the first to appreciate the importance of religion
for the preservation of the commonweal. It can ill afford at any time, and least
of all in the present condition of the world, to reject the assistance which
Christianity offers for the maintenance of peace and order. "Let princes
and rulers of the people," says Pope Benedict XV, "bear this in mind
and bethink themselves whether it be wise and salutary, either for public
authority or for the nations themselves, to set aside the holy religion of Jesus
Christ, in which that very authority may find such powerful support and defense.
Let them seriously consider whether it be the part of political wisdom to
exclude from the ordinance of the State and from public instruction, the
teaching of the Gospel and of the Church. Only too well does experience show
that when religion is banished, human authority totters to its fall. That which
happened to the first of our race when he failed in his duty to God, usually
happens to nations as well. Scarcely had the will in him rebelled against God
when the passions arose in rebellion against the will; and likewise, when the
rulers of the people disdain the authority of God, the people in turn despise
the authority of men. There remains, it is true, the usual expedient of
suppressing rebellion by force; but to what effect? Force subdues the bodies of
men, not their souls" (encyclical, <Ad Beatissimi>, November 1,
1914).

Charity

The spiritual endowment of man, his rights, and his liberties have their
source in the goodness of God. Infinitely just as Ruler of the world, He is
infinitely good as Father of mankind. He uses His supreme authority to lay upon
men the commandment of love. "Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with thy
whole heart, and with thy whole soul, and with thy whole mind. This is the
greatest and the first commandment. And the second is like to this: thou shalt
love thy neighbor as thyself" (Matt. 22:37-39).

Let us not persuade ourselves that we have fully complied with the divine law
in regard to our relations with our fellow men, when we have carefully
discharged all the obligations of justice. For its safeguard and completion, the
stern law of justice looks to the gentler but nonetheless obligatory law of
charity. Justice presents our fellow man as an exacting creditor, who rightly
demands the satisfaction of his rightful claims. Charity calls on us as children
of the one universal family whose Father is God, to cherish for one another
active brotherly love second only to the love which we owe to Him. "It is
not enough," says St. Thomas, "that peace and concord reign among the
citizens: love also must prevail. Justice prevents them from injuring one
another; it does not require them to help one another. Yet it often happens that
some need aid which falls under no obligation of justice. Here charity steps in
and summons us to further service in the name of the love we owe to God"
(<Contra Gentes>, III, 129). Though different in kind from justice, the
precept of charity imposes duties which we may not disregard. To love the
neighbor is not simply a matter of option or a counsel which they may follow who
aim at moral perfection: it is a divine command that is equally binding on all.
It extends beyond kindred and friends to include all men, and it obligates us in
thought and will no less than in outward action.

As commonly understood, charity is manifested in deeds that tend to the
relief of suffering in any of its various forms, or that provide opportunities
of advancement for those who have none, or that add somewhat to the scant
pleasure of many laborious lives. And these beyond question are deeds that
deserve all praise. But it is in the source whence they come, in the good will
which prompts them, that the essence of charity consists. We may love others
from a sense of our common humanity, from sympathy, from natural pity for pain
and distress. Yet this benevolence is securely based and immeasurably ennobled,
when it is quickened with the higher motive of love for God, the heavenly
Father. Then the pale form of altruism or humanitarianism is replaced by the
divine presence of charity.

By its very nature, charity is a social virtue. Wherever a social group is
formed—in the home, the community, the civic association—good will is a
necessity. It is charity rather than justice that overcomes selfishness, casts
out rancor, forbids hatred, clears away misunderstanding, leads to
reconciliation. After justice has rendered impartial decision, it is charity
that brings men back to fellowship. And if at times it be fitting that mercy
should season justice, the quality of mercy itself is but charity touched to
compassion.

The Law Of The Gospel

The law of charity is essentially the law of the Gospel, the "new
commandment" which Jesus gave His disciples. It is the distinctive badge of
the Christian: "By this shall all men know that you are my disciples, if
you have love one for another" (John 13:35). And more than this: the
Incarnation itself was evidence of the divine good will toward men: "By
this hath the charity of God appeared toward us, because God hath sent his only
begotten Son into the world that we may live by him" (1 John 4:9).

It is therefore significant that, as the world moves farther away from Christ
and loses the spirit of His teaching, there should be less and less of the
charity which He would have His disciples to practice. On the other hand, we, as
Christians, must ask ourselves whether we have so fully observed the "new
commandment" of love as to leave the world without excuse for its unbelief.
There are countless forms of charity which seek no publicity and ask no earthly
reward: these the world could hardly be expected to know. But it cannot help
seeing such evidences of love as appear in the ordinary conduct of genuine
Christians, in their daily intercourse, their speech and habits of thought. That
men in exceptional conditions should rise to great heights of self-sacrifice is
proof indeed of a natural disposition, which may remain latent until it is
stirred into action by sudden disaster or national peril; then it becomes
heroic. Charity, however, does not wait for such occasions; it finds its
opportunity in season, and out of season, and it makes heroes of men in peace no
less than in war. This, then, should be our concern, this constant exercise of
good will toward all men, that they may see in us the disciples of Christ and be
led to Him through the power of love.

Social Relations

The security of the nation and the efficiency of government for the general
weal depend largely upon the standards which are adopted, and the practices
which are admitted, in social relations.

This is characteristic of a democracy, where the makers of law are
commissioned to do the will of the people. In matters pertaining to morality,
legislation will not rise above the level established by the general tone and
tenor of society. It is necessary, then, for the preservation of national life,
that social morality, in its usage and sanction, be sound and steadfast and
pure.

Marriage

This aim can be accomplished only by reaching the sources in which life has
its origin, and from which the individual character receives its initial
direction. As the family is the first social group, it is also the center whose
influence permeates the entire social body. And since family life takes its rise
from the union of husband and wife, the sanctity of marriage and of marital
relations is of prime importance for the purity of social relations.

The esteem in which marriage is held furnishes an index of a people's
morality. If honor and respect be due an institution in proportion to its
sacredness, its significance for human happiness and the measure of
responsibility which it implies, marriage must claim the reverence of every mind
that is capable of paying tribute to anything good. A lowering of the general
estimate is a symptom of moral decline.

That such a lowering has taken place is due, in part, to the disregard of
those requirements which even the prospect of marriage imposes. While emphasis
is laid, and rightly, upon physical qualifications, not sufficient importance is
attached to moral fitness, the real basis of marital happiness.

It is essential, in the first place, that clean living before marriage be
equally obligatory on men and women. The toleration of vicious courses in one
party while the other is strictly held to the practice of virtue, may rest on
convention or custom; but it is ethically false, and it is plainly at variance
with the law of God, which enjoins personal purity upon each and all.

Those who contemplate marriage should further make sure that their motives
are upright. Where the dominant aim is selfish, where choice is controlled by
ambition or greed, and where superficial qualities are preferred to character,
genuine love is out of the question: such marriages are bargains rather than
unions, and their only result is discord.

The same consequence may be expected from one-sided views of the marital
relation. It is a vain idealism that anticipates joy in perfection, but takes no
thought of the mutual forbearance which is constantly needed, or of the courage
which trial demands, or of the serious obligations which family life implies.
Illusion in such matters is the worst kind of ignorance.

On the other hand, it is idealism of the truest and most practical sort that
sees in marriage the divinely appointed plan for co-operating with the Creator
in perpetuating the race, and that accepts the responsibility of bringing
children into the world, who may prove either a blessing or a curse to society
at large.

Where such ideals prevail, the fulfillment of marital duties occasions no
hardship. Neither is there any consideration for the fraudulent prudence that
would improve upon nature by defeating its obvious purpose, and would purify
life by defiling its source. The selfishness which leads to race suicide, with
or without the pretext of bettering the species, is, in God's sight, "a
detestable thing" (Gen. 38:10). It is the crime of individuals for which,
eventually, the nation must suffer. The harm which it does cannot be repaired by
social service, nor offset by pretended economic or domestic advantage. On the
contrary, there is joy in the hope of offspring, for "the inheritance of
the Lord are children; and his reward, the fruit of the womb" (Ps. 126).
The bond of love is strengthened, fresh stimulus is given to thrift and
industrious effort, and the very sacrifices which are called for become sources
of blessing.

For the Christian the performance of these duties is lightened by the fact
that marriage is not a mere contract: it is a sacrament and therefore, in the
truest sense, a holy estate. It sanctifies the union of husband and wife, and
supplies them with graces that enable them to fulfill their obligations. Hence
it is that the Church invests the celebration of marriage with a solemnity
becoming its sacramental importance, performs the sacred rite at the foot of the
altar, and unites it in the nuptial Mass with the sublimes" of religious
functions.

Originating in such solemn circumstances, the family life receives, at its
very inception, a blessing and a consecration. The "sacredness of
home" has a definite meaning, deeper than its natural privacy, its intimacy
and inviolability: the home is sacred because it is established with God's
benediction to carry out His purpose in regard to mankind.

Public authority and social sanction unite to safeguard the home, to protect
its rights and condemn their violation. But its strongest defense is in the
keeping of those who make it, in their mutual fidelity and careful observance of
their respective duties. These alone can ward off temptation and forestall the
intrusion from without of influences which, through treachery, bring about ruin.

There is need of greater vigilance in protecting the home at this time, owing
to conditions which tend to weaken its influence. The demands of industry, of
business, and of social intercourse subject the family tie to a strain that
becomes more severe as civilization advances. Parents who are sensible of their
obligations, will exert themselves to meet external pressure by making the home
more attractive. They will set their children the example of giving home their
first consideration. And while they contribute their share of service and
enjoyment as their social position requires, they will not neglect their
children for the sake of amusement or pleasure.

In this matter we appeal with special earnestness to Catholic mothers, whose
position in the home gives them constant opportunity to realize its needs and
provide for its safety. Let them take to heart the words of Holy Scripture in
praise of the virtuous woman: "Strength and beauty are her clothing.... She
hath opened her mouth in wisdom and the law of clemency is on her tongue. She
hath looked well to the paths of her house and hath not eaten her bread in
idleness. Her children rose up and called her blessed; her husband, and he
praised her" (Prov. 31:25-28). The home that is ruled by such a woman has
nothing to fear in the way of domestic trouble.

Divorce

Of itself and under normal conditions, marital love endures through life,
growing in strength as time passes and renewing its tenderness in the children
that are its pledges. The thought of separation even by death is repugnant, and
nothing less than death can weaken the bond. No sane man or woman regards
divorce as a good thing; the most that can be said in its favor is that, under
given circumstances, it affords relief from intolerable evil.

Reluctantly, the Church permits limited divorce: the parties are allowed for
certain cause to separate, though the bond continues in force and neither may
contract a new marriage while the other is living. But absolute divorce which
severs the bond, the Church does not and will not permit.

We consider the growth of the divorce evil an evidence of moral decay and a
present danger to the best elements in our American life. In its causes and
their revelation by process of law, in its results for those who are immediately
concerned and its suggestion to the minds of the entire community, divorce is
our national scandal. It not only disrupts the home of the separated parties,
but it also leads others who are not yet married, to look upon the bond as a
trivial circumstance. Thus, through the ease and frequency with which it is
granted, divorce increases with an evil momentum until it passes the limits of
decency and reduces the sexual relation to the level of animal instinct.

This degradation of marriage, once considered the holiest of human relations,
naturally tends to the injury of other things whose efficacy ought to be
secured, not by coercion, but by the freely given respect of a free people.
Public authority, individual rights and even the institutions on which liberty
depends, must inevitably weaken. Hence the importance of measures and movements
which aim at checking the spread of divorce. It is to be hoped that they will
succeed; but an effectual remedy cannot be found or applied, unless we aim at
purity in all matters of sex, restore the dignity of marriage, and emphasize its
obligations.

Social Intercourse

By divine ordinance, each human being becomes a member of the larger social
group, and in due course enters into social relations. These are, and should be,
a means of promoting good will and an occasion for the practice of many virtues,
notably of justice and charity.

That social enjoyment is quite compatible with serious occupation and with
devotion to the public good is evident from the services rendered during the war
by all classes of people, and especially by those who gave up their comfort and
ease in obedience to the call of their country. Let this same spirit prevail in
time of peace and set reasonable limits to the pursuit of pleasure. With the
tendency to excess and the craving for excitement, there comes a willingness to
encourage in social intercourse abuses that would not be tolerated in the
privacy of home. For the sake of notoriety, the prescriptions of plain decency
are often set aside, and even the slight restraints of convention are
disregarded. Fondness for display leads to lavish expenditure, which arouses the
envy of the less fortunate classes, spurs them to a foolish imitation, and
eventually brings about conflict between the rich and the poor.

Though many of these abuses are of short duration, their effect is
nonetheless harmful: they impair the moral fiber of our people and render them
unfit for liberty. The plainest lessons of history show that absorption in
pleasure is fatal to free institutions. Nations which had conquered the world
were unable to prevent their own ruin, once corruption had sapped their
vitality. Our country has triumphed in its struggle beyond the sea; let it
beware of the enemy lurking within.

There should be no need of legal enactments to improve our social relations,
and there will be none, if only we act on the principle that each of us is in
duty bound to set good example. Society, no less than its individual members, is
subject to God's law. Neither convention nor fashion can justify sin. And if we
are prompt to remove the causes of bodily disease, we must be just as energetic
in banishing moral contagion.

"Ye are the salt of the earth: but if the salt lose its savour,
wherewith shall it be salted?" (Matt. 5:13.) Let Catholics in particular
reflect on this saying, and keep it before their minds under all circumstances,
whether at home or abroad. Each in his own social sphere has a mission to
perform, sometimes by explaining or defending the faith, sometimes by condemning
what is wrong, but always by doing what is right. It is the eloquence of deeds
that convinces where words are of no avail. The light is silent. "So let
your light shine before men, that they may see your good works and glorify your
Father who is in heaven" (Matt. 5:16).

Woman's Influence

In society, as in the home, the influence of woman is potent. She rules with
the power of gentleness, and, where men are chivalrous, her will is the social
law. To use this power and fashion this law in suchwise that the world may be
better because of her presence is a worthy ambition. But it will not be achieved
by devices that arouse the coarser instincts and gratify vanity at the expense
of decency. There will be less ground to complain of the wrong inflicted on
women, when women themselves maintain their true dignity. "Favor is
deceitful and beauty is vain; the woman that feareth the Lord, she shall be
praised" (Prov. 31:30).

The present tendency in all civilized countries is to give woman a larger
share in pursuits and occupations that formerly were reserved to men. The sphere
of her activity is no longer confined to the home or to her social environment;
it includes the learned professions, the field of industry and the forum of
political life. Her ability to meet the hardest of human conditions has been
tested by the experience of war; and the world pays tribute, rightfully, to her
patriotic spirit, her courage, and her power of restoring what the havoc of war
had well-nigh destroyed.

Those same qualities are now to undergo a different sort of trial; for woman,
by engaging in public affairs, accepts, with equal rights, an equal
responsibility. So far as she may purify and elevate our political life, her use
of the franchise will prove an advantage; and this will be greater if it involve
no loss of the qualities in which woman excels. Such a loss would deprive her of
the influence which she wields in the home, and eventually defeat the very
purpose for which she has entered the public arena. The evils that result from
wrong political practice must surely arouse apprehension, but what we have
chiefly to fear is the growth of division that tends to breed hatred. The remedy
for this lies not in the struggle of parties, but in the diffusion of good will.
To reach the hearts of men and take away their bitterness, that they may live
henceforth in fellowship one with another—this is woman's vocation in respect
of public affairs, and the service which she by nature is best fitted to render.

Industrial Relations

In 1891, Pope Leo XIII published his encyclical, <Rerum Novarum>, a
document which shows the insight of that great Pontiff into the industrial
conditions of the time, and his wisdom in pointing out the principles needed for
the solving of economic problems. "That the spirit of revolutionary change
which has long been disturbing the nations of the world, should have passed
beyond the sphere of politics and made its influence felt in the cognate sphere
of practical economics, is not surprising. The elements of the conflict now
raging are unmistakable, in the vast expansion of industrial pursuits and the
marvelous discoveries of science; in the changed relations between masters and
workmen; in the enormous fortunes of some few individuals and the utter poverty
of the masses; in the increased self-reliance and closer mutual combination of
the working classes; as also, finally, in the prevailing moral degeneracy. The
momentous gravity of the state of things now obtaining fills every mind with
painful apprehension; wise men are discussing it; practical men are proposing
schemes; popular meetings, legislatures and rulers of nations are all busied
with it—and actually there is no question that has taken a deeper hold on the
public mind."

How fully these statements apply to our present situation, must be clear to
all who have noted the course of events during the year just elapsed. The war
indeed has sharpened the issues and intensified the conflict that rages in the
world of industry; but the elements, the parties, and their respective attitudes
are practically unchanged. Unchanged also are the principles which must be
applied if order is to be restored and placed on such a permanent basis that our
people may continue their peaceful pursuits without dread of further
disturbance. So far as men are willing to accept those principles as the common
ground on which all parties may meet and adjust their several claims, there is
hope of a settlement without the more radical measures which the situation
seemed but lately to be forcing on public authority. But in any event, the
agitation of the last few months should convince us that something more is
needed than temporary arrangements or local readjustments. The atmosphere must
be cleared so that, however great the difficulties which presently block the
way, men of good will may not, through erroneous preconceptions, go stumbling on
from one detail to another, thus adding confusion to darkness of counsel.

Nature Of The Question

"It is the opinion of some," says Pope Leo XIII, "and the
error is already very common, that the social question is merely an economic
one, whereas in point of fact, it is first of all a moral and religious matter,
and for that reason its settlement is to be sought mainly in the moral law and
the pronouncements of religion" (apostolic letter, <Graves de
communi>, January 18, 1901). These words are as pertinent and their teaching
as necessary today as they were nineteen years ago. Their meaning,
substantially, has been reaffirmed by Pope Benedict XV in his recent statement
that "without justice and charity there will be no social progress."
The fact that men are striving for what they consider to be their rights puts
their dispute on a moral basis; and wherever justice may lie, whichever of the
opposing claims may have the better foundation, it is justice that all demand.

In the prosecution of their respective claims, the parties have, apparently,
disregarded the fact that the people as a whole have a prior claim. The great
number of unnecessary strikes which have occurred within the last few months is
evidence that justice has been widely violated as regards the rights and needs
of the public. To assume that the only rights involved in an industrial dispute
are those of capital and labor is a radical error. It leads, practically, to the
conclusion that at any time and for an indefinite period, even the most
necessary products can be withheld from general use until the controversy is
settled. In fact, while it lasts, millions of persons are compelled to suffer
hardship for want of goods and services which they require for reasonable
living. The first step, therefore, toward correcting the evil is to insist that
the rights of the community shall prevail, and that no individual claim
conflicting with those rights shall be valid.

Among those rights is that which entitles the people to order and tranquility
as the necessary condition for social existence. Industrial disturbance
invariably spreads beyond the sphere in which it originates, and interferes,
more or less seriously, with other occupations. The whole economic system is so
compacted together and its parts are so dependent one upon the other, that the
failure of a single element, especially if this be of vital importance, must
affect all the rest. The disorder which ensues is an injustice inflicted upon
the community; and the wrong is the greater because, usually, there is no
redress. Those who are responsible for it pursue their own ends without regard
for moral consequences and, in some cases, with no concern for the provisions of
law. When such a temper asserts itself, indignation is aroused throughout the
country and the authorities are urged to take action. This, under given
circumstances, may be the only possible course; but, as experience shows, it
does not eradicate the evil. A further diagnosis is needed. The causes of
industrial trouble are generally known, as are also the various phases through
which it develops and the positions which the several parties assume. The more
serious problem is to ascertain why, in such conditions, men fail to see their
obligations to one another and to the public, or seeing them, refuse to fulfill
them except under threat and compulsion.

Mutual Obligations

"The great mistake in regard to the matter now under consideration is to
take up with the notion that class is naturally hostile to class, and that the
wealthy and the workingmen are intended by nature to live in mutual
conflict" (<Rerum Novarum>). On the contrary, as Pope Leo adds,
"Each needs the other: Capital cannot do without Labor, nor Labor without
Capital. Religion is a powerful agency in drawing the rich and the bread-winner
together, by reminding each class of its duties to the other and especially of
the obligation of justice. Religion teaches the laboring man and the artisan to
carry out honestly and fairly all equitable agreements freely arranged, to
refrain from injuring person or property, from using violence and creating
disorder. It teaches the owner and employer that the laborer is not their
bondsman, that in every man they must respect his dignity and worth as a man and
as a Christian; that labor is not a thing to be ashamed of, if we listen to
right reason and to Christian philosophy, but is an honorable calling, enabling
a man to sustain his life in a way upright and creditable; and that it is
shameful and inhuman to treat men like chattels, as a means for making money, or
as machines for grinding out work." The moral value of man and the dignity
of human labor are cardinal points in this whole question. Let them be the
directive principles in industry, and they will go far toward preventing
disputes. By treating the laborer first of all as a man, the employer will make
him a better workingman; by respecting his own moral dignity as a man, the
laborer will compel the respect of his employer and of the community.

The settlement of our industrial problems would offer less difficulty if,
while upholding its rights, each party were disposed to meet the other in a
friendly spirit. The strict requirements of justice can be fulfilled without
creating animosity; in fact, where this arises, it is apt to obscure the whole
issue. On the contrary, a manifest desire to win over, rather than drive, the
opponent to the acceptance of equitable terms, would facilitate the recognition
of claims which are founded in justice. The evidence of such a disposition would
break down the barriers of mistrust and set up in their stead the bond of good
will. Not an armistice but a conciliation would result; and this would establish
all parties in the exercise of their rights and the cheerful performance of
their duties.

Respective Rights

The right of labor to organize, and the great benefit to be derived from
workingmen's associations, was plainly set forth by Pope Leo XIII. In this
connection, we would call attention to two rights, one of employees and the
other of employers, the violation of which contributes largely to the existing
unrest and suffering. The first is the right of the workers to form and maintain
the kind of organization that is necessary and that will be most effectual in
securing their welfare. The second is the right of employers to the faithful
observance by the labor unions of all contracts and agreements. The
unreasonableness of denying either of these rights is too obvious to require
proof or explanation.

A dispute that cannot be adjusted by direct negotiation between the parties
concerned should always be submitted to arbitration. Neither employer nor
employee may reasonably reject this method on the ground that it does not bring
about perfect justice. No human institution is perfect or infallible; even our
courts of law are sometimes in error. Like the law court, the tribunal of
industrial arbitration provides the nearest approach to justice that is
practically attainable; for the only alternative is economic force, and its
decisions have no necessary relation to the decrees of justice. They show which
party is economically stronger, not which is in the right.

The right of labor to a living wage, authoritatively and eloquently
reasserted more than a quarter of a century ago by Pope Leo XIII, is happily no
longer denied by any considerable number of persons. What is principally needed
now is that its content should be adequately defined, and that it should be made
universal in practice, through whatever means will be at once legitimate and
effective. In particular, it is to be kept in mind that a living wage includes
not merely decent maintenance for the present, but also a reasonable provision
for such future needs as sickness, invalidity, and old age. Capital likewise has
its rights. Among them is the right to "a fair day's work for a fair day's
pay," and the right to returns which will be sufficient to stimulate
thrift, saving, initiative, enterprise, and all those directive and productive
energies which promote social welfare.

Benefits Of Association

In his pronouncement on Labor (<Rerum Novarum>) Pope Leo XIII describes
the advantages to be derived by both employer and employee from
"associations and organizations which draw the two classes more closely
together." Such associations are especially needed at the present time.
While the labor union or trade union has been, and still is, necessary in the
struggle of the workers for fair wages and fair conditions of employment, we
have to recognize that its history, methods, and objects have made it
essentially a militant organization. The time seems now to have arrived when it
should be, not supplanted, but supplemented by associations or conferences,
composed jointly of employers and employees, which will place emphasis upon the
common interests rather than the divergent aims of the two parties, upon
cooperation rather than conflict. Through such arrangements, all classes would
be greatly benefited. The worker would participate in those matters of
industrial management which directly concern him and about which he possesses
helpful knowledge; he would acquire an increased sense of personal dignity and
personal responsibility, take greater interest and pride in his work, and become
more efficient and more contented. The employer would have the benefit of
willing cooperation from, and harmonious relations with, his employees. The
consumer, in common with employer and employee, would share in the advantages of
larger and steadier production. In a word, industry would be carried on as a
co-operative enterprise for the common good, and not as a contest between two
parties for a restricted product.

Deploring the social changes which have divided "society into two widely
different castes" of which one "holds power because it holds
wealth," while the other is "the needy and powerless multitude,"
Pope Leo XIII declared that the remedy is "to induce as many as possible of
the humbler classes to become owners" (<Rerum Novarum>). This
recommendation is in exact accord with the traditional teaching and practice of
the Church. When her social influence was greatest, in the Middle Ages, the
prevailing economic system was such that the workers were gradually obtaining a
larger share in the ownership of the lands upon which, and the tools with which,
they labored. Though the economic arrangements of that time cannot be restored,
the underlying principle is of permanent application and is the only one that
will give stability to industrial society. It should be applied to our present
system as rapidly as conditions will permit.

Whatever may be the industrial and social remedies which will approve
themselves to the American people, there is one that, we feel confident, they
will never adopt. That is the method of revolution. For it there is neither
justification nor excuse under our form of government. Through the ordinary and
orderly processes of education, organization, and legislation, all social wrongs
can be righted. While these processes may at times seem distressingly slow, they
will achieve more in the final result than violence or revolution. The
radicalism, and worse than radicalism, of the labor movement in some of the
countries of Europe, has no lesson for the workers of the United States, except
as an example of methods to be detested and avoided.

Pope Benedict has recently expressed a desire that the people should study
the great encyclicals on the social question of his predecessor, Leo XIII. We
heartily commend this advice to the faithful and, indeed, to all the people of
the United States. They will find in these documents the practical wisdom which
the experience of centuries has stored up in the Holy See and, moreover, that
solicitude for the welfare of mankind which fitly characterizes the Head of the
Catholic Church.

National Conditions

Our country had its origin in a struggle for liberty. Once established as an
independent republic, it became the refuge of those who preferred freedom in
America to the conditions prevailing in their native lands. Differing widely in
culture, belief, and capacity for self-government, they had as their common
characteristics the desire for liberty and the pursuit of happiness. Within a
century, those diverse elements had been formed together into a nation,
powerful, prosperous, and contented. As they advanced in fortune, they broadened
in generosity; and today, the children of those early refugees are restoring the
breath of life to the peoples of Europe.

These facts naturally inspire us with an honest pride in our country, with
loyalty to our free institutions and confidence in our future. They should also
inspire us with gratitude to the Giver of all good gifts, who has dealt so
favorably with our nation: "He hath not done in like manner to every
nation" (Ps. 147). Our forefathers realized this, and accordingly there is
evident in the foundation of the Republic and its first institutions a deep
religious spirit. It pervades the home, establishes seats of learning, guides
the deliberation of lawmaking bodies. Its beneficent results are our
inheritance; but to enjoy this and transmit it in its fullness to posterity, we
must preserve in the hearts of the people the spirit of reverence for God and
His law, which animated the founders of our nation. Without that spirit, there
is no true patriotism; for whoever sincerely loves his country, must love it for
the things that make it worthy of the blessings it has received and of those for
which it may hope through God's dispensation.

We are convinced that our Catholic people and all our citizens will display
an equally patriotic spirit in approaching the tasks which now confront us. The
tasks of peace, though less spectacular in their accomplishment than those of
war, are not less important and surely not less difficult. They call for wise
deliberation, for self-restraint, for promptness in that emergency and energy in
action. They demand, especially, that our people should rise above all minor
considerations and unite their endeavors for the good of the country. At no
period in our history, not even at the outbreak of war, has the need of unity
been more imperative. There should be neither time nor place for sectional
division, for racial hatred, for strife among classes, for purely partisan
conflict imperiling the country's welfare. There should be no toleration for
movements, agencies, or schemes that aim at fomenting discord on the ground of
religious belief. All such attempts, whatever their disguise or pretext, are
inimical to the life of our nation. Their ultimate purpose is to bring discredit
upon religion, and to eliminate its influence as a factor in shaping the thought
or the conduct of our people. We believe that intelligent Americans will
understand how foreign to our ideas of freedom and how dangerous to freedom
itself are those designs which would not only invade the rights of conscience
but would make the breeding of hatred a conscientious duty.

Care For Immigrants

Such movements are the more deplorable because they divert attention from
matters of public import that really call for improvement, and from problems
whose solution requires the earnest co-operation of all our citizens. There is
much to be done in behalf of those who, like our forefathers, come from other
countries to find a home in America. They need an education that will enable
them to understand our system of government and will prepare them for the duties
of citizenship. They need warning against the contagion of influences whose evil
results are giving us grave concern. But what they chiefly need is that
Christian sympathy which considers in them the possibilities for good rather
than the present defects, and, instead of looking upon them with distrust,
extends to them the hand of charity. Since many of their failings are the
consequence of treatment from which they suffered in their homelands, our
attitude and action toward them should, for that reason, be all the more
sympathetic and helpful.

Clean Politics

The constant addition of new elements to our population obliges us to greater
vigilance with regard to our internal affairs. The power of assimilation is
proportioned to the soundness of the organism; and as the most wholesome
nutriment may prove injurious in cases of functional disorder, so will the
influx from other countries be harmful to our national life, unless this be
maintained in full vigor. While, then, we are solicitous that those who seek
American citizenship should possess or speedily attain the necessary
qualifications, it behooves us to see that our political system is healthy. In
its primary meaning, politics has for its aim the administration of government
in accordance with the express will of the people and for their best interests.
This can be accomplished by the adoption of right principles, the choice of
worthy candidates for office, the direction of partisan effort toward the
nation's true welfare and the purity of election; but not by dishonesty. The
idea that politics is exempt from the requirements of morality, is both false
and pernicious: it is practically equivalent to the notion that in government
there is neither right nor wrong, and that the will of the people is simply an
instrument to be used for private advantage.

The expression or application of such views accounts for the tendency, on the
part of many of our citizens, to hold aloof from politics. But their abstention
will not effect the needed reform, nor will it arouse from their apathy the
still larger number who are so intent upon their own pursuits that they have no
inclination for political duties. Each citizen should devote a reasonable amount
of time and energy to the maintenance of right government by the exercise of his
political rights and privileges. He should understand the issues that are
brought before the people, and co-operate with his fellow citizens in securing,
by all legitimate means, the wisest possible solution.

Public Office And Legislation

In a special degree, the sense and performance of duty is required of those
who are entrusted with public office. They are at once the servants of the
people and the bearers of an authority whose original source is none other than
God. Integrity on their part, shown by their impartial treatment of all persons
and questions, by their righteous administration of public funds and by their
strict observance of law, is a vital element in the life of the nation. It is
the first and most effectual remedy for the countless ills which invade the body
politic and, slowly festering, end in sudden collapse. But to apply the remedy
with hope of success, those who are charged with the care of public affairs,
should think less of the honor conferred upon them than of the great
responsibility. For the public official above all others, there is need to
remember the day of accounting, here, perhaps, at the bar of human opinion, but
surely hereafter at the judgment seat of Him whose sentence is absolute:
"Give an account of thy stewardship" (Luke 16:2).

The conduct of one's own life is a serious and often a difficult task. But to
establish, by the use of authority, the order of living for the whole people, is
a function that demands the clearest perception of right and the utmost fidelity
to the principles of justice. If the good of the country is the one real object
of all political power, this is preeminently true of the legislative power.
Since law, as the means of protecting right and preserving order, is essential
to the life of the State, justice must inspire legislation, and concern for the
public weal must furnish the single motive for enactment. The passing of an
unjust law is the suicide of authority.

The efficacy of legislation depends on the wisdom of laws, not on their
number. Fewer enactments, with more prudent consideration of each and more
vigorous execution of all, would go far toward bettering our national
conditions. But when justice itself is buried under a multiplicity of statutes,
it is not surprising that the people grow slack in observance and eventually
cease to respect the authority back of the laws. Their tendency then is to
assume the function which rightly belongs to public executive power, and this
they are more likely to do when aroused by the commission of crimes which, in
their opinion, demand swift retribution instead of the slow and uncertain
results of legal procedure. The summary punishment visited on certain offenses
by those who take the law into their own hands may seem to be what the criminal
deserves; in reality, it is a usurpation of power and therefore an attack upon
the vital principle of public order. The tardiness of justice is surely an evil,
but it will not be removed by added violations of justice, in which passion too
often prevails and leads to practices unworthy of a civilized nation.

The Press

For the removal of evil and the furtherance of good in the social and
political spheres, an enlightened public opinion is requisite. The verdict
rendered by the people must express their own judgment, but this cannot be
safely formed without a knowledge of facts and an appreciation of the questions
on which they have to decide. As the needed information ordinarily is supplied
by the press, it is at once obvious that the publicist has a large measure both
of influence and of responsibility. He speaks to the whole public, and often
with an authority that carries conviction. In a very real sense he is a teacher,
with the largest opportunity to instruct, to criticize, to fashion opinions, and
to direct movements. When the use of this great power is guided by loyalty to
truth, to moral principle and patriotic duty, the press is an agency for good
second only to public authority. When through its influence and example, the
people are led to respect law, to observe the precept of charity, to detest
scandal and condemn wrongdoing, they may well regard the press as a safeguard of
their homes and a source of purity in their social and political relations. From
it they will learn whatsoever things are just and pure, whatsoever are lovely
and of good report. But no man has a right to scatter germs of moral corruption
any more than he has to pollute the water supply of a city. The press, which
condemns the one as a criminal deed, cannot lend countenance, much less
co-operation, to the other.

International Relations

Though men are divided into various nationalities by reason of geographical
position or historical vicissitude, the progress of civilization facilitates
intercourse and, normally, brings about the exchange of good offices between
people and people. War, for a time, suspends these friendly relations; but
eventually it serves to focus attention upon them and to emphasize the need of
readjustment. Having shared in the recent conflict, our country is now engaged
with international problems and with the solution of these on a sound and
permanent basis. Such a solution, however, can be reached only through the
acceptance and application of moral principles. Without these, no form of
agreement will avail to establish and maintain the order of the world.

Since God is the Ruler of nations no less than of individuals, His law is
supreme over the external relations of States as well as in the internal affairs
of each. The sovereignty that makes a nation independent of other nations does
not exempt it from its obligations toward God; nor can any covenant, however
shrewdly arranged, guarantee peace and security, if it disregard the divine
commands. These require that in their dealings with one another, nations shall
observe both justice and charity. By the former, each nation is bound to respect
the existence, integrity, and rights of all other nations; by the latter, it is
obliged to assist other nations with those acts of beneficence and good will
which can be performed without undue inconvenience to itself. From these
obligations a nation is not dispensed by reason of its superior civilization,
its industrial activity, or its commercial enterprise; least of all, by its
military power. On the contrary, a State which possesses these advantages is
under a greater responsibility to exert its influence for the maintenance of
justice and the diffusion of good will among all peoples. So far as it fulfills
its obligation in this respect, a State contributes its share to the peace of
the world: it disarms jealousy, removes all ground for suspicion, and replaces
intrigue with frank co-operation for the general welfare.

The growth of democracy implies that the people shall have a larger share in
determining the form, attributions, and policies of the government to which they
look for the preservation of order. It should also imply that the calm
deliberate judgment of the people, rather than the aims of the ambitious few,
shall decide whether, in case of international disagreement, war be the only
solution. Knowing that the burdens of war will fall most heavily on them, the
people will be slower in taking aggressive measures, and, with an adequate sense
of what charity and justice require, they will refuse to be led or driven into
conflict by false report or specious argument. Reluctance of this sort is
entirely consistent with firmness for right and zeal for national honor. If it
were developed in every people, it would prove a more effectual restraint than
any craft of diplomacy or economic prudence. The wisest economy, in fact, would
be exercised in making the principles of charity and justice an essential part
of education. Instead of planning destruction, intelligence would then discover
new methods of binding the nations together; and the good will which is now
doing so much to relieve the distress produced by war would be so strengthened
and directed as to prevent the recurrence of international strife.

One of the most effectual means by which States can assist one another is the
organization of international peace. The need of this is more generally felt at
the present time when the meaning of war is so plainly before us. In former ages
also, the nations realized the necessity of compacts and agreements whereby the
peace of the world would be secured. The success of these organized efforts was
due, in large measure, to the influence of the Church. The position of the Holy
See and the office of the Sovereign Pontiff as Father of Christendom were
recognized by the nations as powerful factors in any understanding that had for
its object the welfare of all. A "Truce of God" was not to be thought
of without the Vicar of Christ; and no other truce could be of lasting effect.
The popes have been the chief exponents, both by word and act, of the principles
which must underlie any successful agreement of this nature. Again and again
they have united the nations of Europe, and history records the great services
which they rendered in the field of international arbitration and in the
development of international law.

The unbroken tradition of the Papacy, with respect to international peace,
has been worthily continued to the present by Pope Benedict XV. He not only made
all possible efforts to bring the recent war to an end, but was also one of the
first advocates of an organization for the preservation of peace. In his letter
to the American people on the last day of the year, 1918, the Holy Father
expressed his fervent hope and desire for an international organization,
"which by abolishing conscription will reduce armaments, by establishing
international tribunals will eliminate or settle disputes, and by placing peace
on a solid foundation will guarantee to all independence and equality of
rights." These words reveal the heart of the Father whose children are
found in every nation, and who grieves at the sight of their fratricidal
struggle. That they were not then heeded or even rightly understood is but
another evidence of the degree to which the passions aroused by the conflict had
warped the judgment of men. But this did not prevent the Pontiff from
intervening in behalf of those who were stricken by the fortunes of war, nor did
it lessen his determination to bring about peace. To him and to his humane
endeavor, not Catholics alone, but people of all creeds and nationalities, are
indebted for the example of magnanimity which he gave the whole world during the
most fateful years of its history.

Education

The interests of order and peace require that our domestic, social, and
national relations be established on the solid basis of principle For the
attainment of this end, much can be done by wise legislation and by organized
effort on the part of associations. We are confident that such effort and
enactment will hasten the desired result. With their practical sense and their
love of fairness, the American people understand that our national life cannot
develop normally without adequate protection for the rights of all and faithful
performance of duty by every citizen. And as they united to secure freedom from
other nations, they now will strive together to realize their country's ideals.

Once more, however, we must emphasize the need of laying a sure foundation in
the individual mind and conscience. Upon the integrity of each, upon his
personal observance of justice and charity, depends the efficacy of legislation
and of all endeavor for the common good. Our aim, therefore, should be, not to
multiply laws and restrictions, but to develop such a spirit as will enable us
to live in harmony under the simplest possible form, and only the necessary
amount, of external regulation. Democracy, understood as self-government,
implies that the people as a whole shall rule themselves. But if they are to
rule wisely, each must begin by governing himself, by performing his duty no
less than by maintaining his right.

Need Of Sound Education

Inasmuch as permanent peace on a sound basis is the desire of all our people,
it is necessary to provide for the future by shaping the thought and guiding the
purpose of our children and youth toward a complete understanding and discharge
of their duties. Herein lies the importance of education and the responsibility
of those to whom it is entrusted. Serious at all times, the educational problem
is now graver and more complex by reason of the manifold demands that are made
on the school, the changes in our industrial conditions, and, above all, by
reason of the confusion and error which obscure the purpose of life and
therefore of true education.

Nevertheless, it is mainly through education that our country will accomplish
its task and perpetuate its free institutions. Such is the conviction that
inspires much of the activity displayed in this field, whether by individuals or
by organizations. Their confidence is naturally strengthened by the interest
which is taken in the school, the enlarged facilities for instruction and the
increased efficiency of educational work.

But these again are so many reasons for insisting that education shall move
in the right direction. The more thorough it becomes, the greater is its power
either for good or for evil. A trained intelligence is but a highly tempered
instrument, whose use must depend on the character of its possessor. Of itself
knowledge gives no guarantee that it will issue in righteous action, and much
less that it will redound to the benefit of society. As experience too plainly
shows, culture of the highest order, with abundance of knowledge at its command,
may be employed for criminal ends and be turned to the ruin of the very
institutions which gave it support and protection. While, therefore, it is
useful to improve education by organizing the work of the schools, enriching the
content of knowledge, and refining the methods of teaching, it is still more
necessary to insure that all educational activity shall be guided by sound
principles toward the attainment of its true purpose.

Principles Of Catholic Education

The Church in our country is obliged, for the sake of principle, to maintain
a system of education distinct and separate from other systems. It is supported
by the voluntary contributions of Catholics who, at the same time, contribute as
required by law to the maintenance of the public schools. It engages in the
service of education a body of teachers who consecrate their lives to this high
calling; and it prepares, without expense to the State, a considerable number of
Americans to live worthily as citizens of the Republic.

Our system is based on certain convictions that grow stronger as we observe
the testing of all education, not simply by calm theoretic discussion, but by
the crucial experience of recent events. It should not have required the
pitiless searching of war to determine the value of any theory or system, but
since that rude test has been so drastically applied and with such unmistakable
results, we judge it opportune to restate the principles which serve as the
basis of Catholic education.

First: The right of the child to receive education and the correlative duty
of providing it are established on the fact that man has a soul created by God
and endowed with capacities which need to be developed, for the good of the
individual and the good of society. In its highest meaning, therefore, education
is a co-operation by human agencies with the Creator for the attainment of His
purpose in regard to the individual who is to be educated, and in regard to the
social order of which he is a member. Neither self-realization alone nor social
service alone is the end of education, but rather these two in accordance with
God's design, which gives to each of them its proportionate value. Hence it
follows that education is essentially and inevitably a moral activity, in the
sense that it undertakes to satisfy certain claims through the fulfillment of
certain obligations. This is true independently of the manner and means which
constitute the actual process; and it remains true, whether recognized or
disregarded in educational practice, whether this practice include the teaching
of morality or exclude it or try to maintain a neutral position.

Second: Since the child is endowed with physical, intellectual, and moral
capacities, all these must be developed harmoniously. An education that quickens
the intelligence and enriches the mind with knowledge, but fails to develop the
will and direct it to the practice of virtue, may produce scholars, but it
cannot produce good men. The exclusion of moral training from the educative
process is more dangerous in proportion to the thoroughness with which the
intellectual powers are developed, because it gives the impression that morality
is of little importance, and thus sends the pupil into life with a false idea
which is not easily corrected.

Third: Since the duties we owe our Creator take precedence of all other
duties, moral training must accord the first place to religion that is, to the
knowledge of God and His law, and must cultivate a spirit of obedience to His
commands. The performance, sincere and complete, of religious duties, ensures
the fulfillment of other obligations.

Fourth: Moral and religious training is most efficacious when it is joined
with instructions in other kinds of knowledge. It should so permeate these that
its influence will be felt in every circumstance of life, and be strengthened as
the mind advances to a fuller acquaintance with nature and a riper experience
with the realities of human existence.

Fifth: An education that unites intellectual, moral, and religious elements
is the best training for citizenship. It inculcates a sense of responsibility, a
respect for authority, and a considerateness for the rights of others which are
the necessary foundations of civic virtue—more necessary where, as in a
democracy, the citizen, enjoying a larger freedom, has a greater obligation to
govern himself. We are convinced that, as religion and morality are essential to
right living and to the public welfare, both should be included in the work of
education.

There is reason to believe that this conviction is shared by a considerable
number of our fellow citizens who are not of the Catholic faith. They realize
that the omission of religious instruction is a defect in education and also a
detriment to religion. But in their view the home and the Church should give the
needed training in morality and religion, leaving the school to provide only
secular knowledge. Experience, however, confirms us in the belief that instead
of dividing education among these several agencies, each of them should, in its
own measure, contribute to the intellectual, moral, and religious development of
the child, and by this means become helpful to all the rest.

The Right To Educate

In order that the educative agencies may co-operate to the best effect, it is
important to understand and safeguard their respective functions and rights. The
office of the Church instituted by Christ is to "teach all nations,"
teaching them to observe whatsoever He commanded. This commission authorizes the
Church to teach the truths of salvation to every human being, whether adult or
child, rich or poor, private citizen or public official.

In the home with its limited sphere but intimate relations, the parent has
both the right and the duty to educate his children; and he has both, not by any
concession from an earthly power, but in virtue of a divine ordinance.
Parenthood, because it means co-operation with God's design for the perpetuation
of humankind, involves responsibility, and therefore implies a corresponding
right to prepare for complete living those whom the parent brings into the
world.

The school supplements and extends the educational function of the home. With
its larger facilities and through the agency of teachers properly trained for
the purpose, it accomplishes in a more effectual way the task of education for
which the parent, as a rule, has neither the time, the means, nor the requisite
qualifications. But the school cannot deprive the parent of his right nor
absolve him from his duty, in the matter of educating his children. It may
properly supply for certain deficiencies of the home in the way of physical
training and cultivation of manners; and it must, by its discipline as well as
by explicit instruction, imbue its pupils with habits of virtue. But it should
not, through any of its ministrations, lead the parent to believe that having
placed his children in school, he is freed from responsibility, nor should it
weaken the ties which attach the child to parent and home. On the contrary, the
school should strengthen the home influence by developing in the child those
traits of character which help to maintain the unity and happiness of family
life. By this means it will co-operate effectually with the parent and worthily
discharge its function.

Since the child is a member not only of the family, but also of the larger
social group, his education must prepare him to fulfill his obligations to
society. The community has the right to insist that those who as members share
in its benefits shall possess the necessary qualifications. The school,
therefore, whether private or public as regards maintenance and control, is an
agency for social welfare, and as such it bears responsibility to the whole
civic body.

While the social aspect of education is evidently important, it must be
remembered that social righteousness depends upon individual morality. There are
virtues, such as justice and charity, which are exercised in our relations with
others; but there is no such thing as collective virtue which can be practiced
by a community whose individual members do not possess it in any manner or
degree. For this very reason the attempt to develop the qualities of citizenship
without regard for personal virtue, or to make civic utility the one standard of
moral excellence, is doomed to failure. Integrity of life in each citizen is the
only sure guarantee of worthy citizenship.

Function Of The State

As the public welfare is largely dependent upon the intelligence of the
citizen, the State has a vital concern in education. This is implied in the
original purpose of our government which, as set forth in the preamble to the
Constitution, is "to form a more perfect union, establish justice, ensure
domestic tranquility, provide for the common defense, promote the general
welfare, and secure the blessings of liberty to ourselves and our
posterity."

In accordance with these purposes, the State has a right to insist that its
citizens shall be educated. It should encourage among the people such a love of
learning that they will take the initiative and, without restraint, provide for
the education of their children. Should they through negligence or lack of means
fail to do so, the State has the right to establish schools and take every other
legitimate means to safeguard its vital interests against the dangers that
result from ignorance. In particular, it has both the right and the duty to
exclude the teaching of doctrines which aim at the subversion of law and order
and therefore at the destruction of the State itself.

The State is competent to do these things because its essential function is
to promote the general welfare. But on the same principle it is bound to respect
and protect the rights of the citizen and especially of the parent. So long as
these rights are properly exercised, to encroach upon them is not to further the
general welfare, but to put it in peril. If the function of government is to
protect the liberty of the citizen, and if the aim of education is to prepare
the individual for the rational use of his liberty, the State cannot rightfully
or consistently make education a pretext for interfering with rights and
liberties which the Creator, not the State, has conferred. Any advantage that
might accrue even from a perfect system of State education would be more than
offset by the wrong which the violation of parental rights would involve.

In our country, government thus far has wisely refrained from placing any
other than absolutely necessary restrictions upon private initiative. The result
is seen in the development of our resources, the products of inventive genius,
and the magnitude of our enterprises. But our most valuable resources are the
minds of our children, and for their development at least the same scope should
be allowed to individual effort as is secured to our undertakings in the
material order.

The spirit of our people in general is adverse to State monopoly, and this
for the obvious reason that such an absorption of control would mean the end of
freedom and initiative. The same consequence is sure to follow when the State
attempts to monopolize education; and the disaster will be much greater inasmuch
as it will affect, not simply the worldly interests of the citizen, but also his
spiritual growth and salvation.

With great wisdom our American Constitution provides that every citizen shall
be free to follow the dictates of his conscience in the matter of religious
belief and observance. While the State gives no preference or advantage to any
form of religion, its own best interests require that religion as well as
education should flourish and exert its wholesome influence upon the lives of
the people. And since education is so powerful an agency for the preservation of
religion, equal freedom should be secured to both. This is the more needful
where the State refuses religious instruction any place in its schools. To
compel the attendance of all children at these schools would be practically
equivalent to an invasion of the rights of conscience, in respect of those
parents who believe that religion forms a necessary part of education. Our
Catholic schools are not established and maintained with any idea of holding our
children apart from the general body and spirit of American citizenship. They
are simply the concrete form in which we exercise our rights as free citizens,
in conformity with the dictates of conscience. Their very existence is a great
moral fact in American life. For while they aim, openly and avowedly, to
preserve our Catholic faith, they offer to all our people an example of the use
of freedom for the advancement of morality and religion.

Our Higher Destiny

The adjustment of the relations which we have considered is intended to
further our welfare on earth. That mankind through freedom and peace should
advance in prosperity is a large and noble aim. But it is not the ultimate aim
of human existence; nor is it the highest criterion whereby the value of all
other ends and the worth of our striving for any of them can be rightly
determined. "For we have not here a lasting city, but we seek one that is
to come" (Heb. 13:14). We look for "a City that hath foundations;
whose builder and maker is God" (ibid., 11:10).

In the light of our higher destiny, we can judge and surely appraise the
things which men desire, which they hate or despise or fear. We can see in their
true perspective the manifold changes of the world, and in their right
proportion its losses and gains, its achievements and failures. We can
understand the confusion, the dismay, and the dread of what may come, which have
clouded the vision of many. For these are the final result of the vast
experiment whereby the world would have proven its self-sufficiency. To those
who imagine that humanity has outgrown the need of religion, that result is
bewildering. To the Catholic mind it brings distress, but no perplexity. It
repeats, with an emphasis proportioned to the weight of disaster, the lesson
which history has written again and again as the meaning of such upheavals.

"They shall perish, but thou shalt continue; and they shall all grow old
as a garment. And as a vesture shalt thou change them, and they shall be
changed; but thou art the self-same, and thy years shall not fail" (Heb.
1:11, 12; Ps. 101:27, 28). What is declared in these words, as regards the
heavens and the earth, is likewise true of our human affairs. And the more fully
we realize that change is the law of our existence, the more readily should we
turn our thought, with humble confidence, toward our Creator and His eternal
law.

As we look upon the record which the past unfolds, we cannot but note that it
is filled with the struggles of mankind, with their building up and tearing
down, with searchings for truth which often end in illusion, with strivings
after good which lead to disappointment. The very monuments which were reared to
celebrate human triumph remain simply to tell of subsequent downfall. Not rarely
the greatness of human achievement is learned from the vast extent of its ruins.

But above it all, standing out clearly through the mists of error and the
grosser darkness of evil, is One, in raiment white and glistening, who has
solved the problem of life, has given to sorrow and pain a new meaning, and, by
dying, has overcome death: "Jesus Christ yesterday, and today; and the same
forever" (Heb. 13:8).

There are numberless paths, but the Way is one. There are many degrees of
knowledge, but only one Truth. There are plans and ideals of living, but in real
fulfillment there is only one Life. For none other than He could say: "I am
the way and the truth and the life" (John 14:6).

Pray, therefore, dearly beloved, that the spirit of Jesus Christ may abide
with us always, that we may walk on His footsteps in justice and charity, and
that the blessing of God may descend abundantly upon the Church, our country,
and the whole American people.

Given at Washington, in conference, on the 26th day of September, in the year
of our Lord, 1919.